Canada vs Scotland: A rugby match filled with camaraderie
By Andy MacCulloch
It was exciting to first hear early this spring that the world class Scottish rugby team was planning a four- city tour of the Americas with Ottawa as its first stop on July 6 th . The Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) embraced this opportunity to welcome the team and the sport which is an iconic element of Scottish culture today. Who could forget Amy MacDonald singing Flower of Scotland with 65,000 passionate fans at Murrayfield when the team played England, or their recent 5 nations performance. It seemed some of that excitement was now coming to Lansdowne, and fans waited with great anticipation.
The tour was first introduced and celebrated in Ottawa, including an announcement by the city’s Mayor Sutcliffe that kids could attend free as a way to promote the sport with youth. The SSO also connected with Rugby Canada and the Scottish government more formally to acknowledge the significance of the event – by organizing a meeting with SSO Chair John McLuckie, Vice Chair Donald MacDonald, past Burns Director Jen Lea Hill and the Scottish Director of Affairs in Canada, John Divine.
The group was also delighted to join other fans in meeting Scottish Coach Gregor Townsend and the players before the big match at the British High Commission’s new embassy building. It was an engaging and entertaining time, and one that any Scottish rugby fan would envy. They also met former Canadian rugby union footballer and IRB Hall of Fame inductee Gareth Lloyd Rees. Coach Townsend fielded questions and talked rugby with Canadian rugby enthusiasts and the players were congenial and friendly and very approachable Scots. It was a very fun evening for all.
The SSO worked with Rugby Canada along with the Scottish Road to Americas group and did our best to promote a fun and culturally relevant fan experience. The Road to Americas is a great band that is following the team on their four-game tour. We managed to arrange a pre-match warm up at Deacon Brodies, which was fully decorated with Scottish regalia and filled with a nice mix of enthusiastic Scottish and Canadian fans. A variety of traditional and contemporary Scottish music was provided by SSO Directors Andy MacCulloch and Donald MacDonald along with Charlie Gardiner, and the talented singing of John Young. A couple of Canadian classics were also included. It was a brilliant atmosphere befitting of a pre-match international rugby game. The event culminated in the singing of Flower of Scotland and the group then gathered to march to Lansdowne.
Donald MacDonald led the group with two other pipers for a few blocks to launch their march down Lansdowne starting on Elgin Street. He then wisely left the group to carry on bravely in what turned out to be a challenging 2.6 km jaunt in the 29-degree Celsius sun! Still, spirits remained high with flags waving, people adorned in kilts and other Scottish attire, and singing their favourites in the absence of bagpipes. The ebullience of the 40 marchers was appreciated by passers-by and they even picked up Scottish enthusiasts along the way. They also lost a few Scots, deking off into passing pubs for refreshment and sustenance along the way. It was a wonderful march despite the conditions, and everybody was pumped up upon arrival.
The game did not disappoint. It was both fascinating and motivating watching the warm up routines - sometimes even bizarre warm up routines - performed by the players. Afterwards, the two teams marched onto the field side by side, holding the hand of a lucky youngster, who was surely enjoying a once in a lifetime experience. As with any international match, the teams lined up and the sang their national anthems starting with O Canada sung by all with heartfelt national pride. But it seemed that the fervor rose to a new level as the Scots sang Flower of Scotland accompanied by their many fans in the crowd. It is always a moving moment, and although there were not the 65,000 of Murrayfield the 11,000 in attendance did their best and surely succeeded in creating an electric atmosphere for the game.
The opening minutes were riveting, as the overmatched underdog Canadian team scored an early try to take an early lead, perhaps creating a shadow of doubt on the Scottish side. But it was not to be. After that, it was all Scotland. The size and pace of the # 6 world ranked Scots was impossible for Canada to contain. They displayed great ball handling and panache and scored frequently on their way to a dominant win. Nevertheless, the crowd, perhaps not really expecting a tight match, remained enthusiastic right to the end. The line of handshakes between the teams is always a classy touch in rugby after the game. Despite the ferocity of the play, the competitors always shake hands in good sportsmanship and fellowship at the end of the match.
It seemed that everybody went home with a warm feeling of camaraderie and mutual respect following the pre-match experience and game itself. It brought forward a pride to be associated with a group of professional players who took the time to talk to fans and accepted Canadian rugby as it is. We all appreciated it, and it is my hope to get to a game in Murrayfield in Edinburgh one day, to take in the full Scottish experience.
