Ardron scores four as Canada beat USA in Pacific Nations Cup opener

Canada opened the Pacific Nations Cup with a 34-20 win over the United States in Calgary on Friday, a result that kick-starts their bid to reach the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. In the day’s other Pool B match, Tonga defeated Samoa 30-16 in Nukualofa, underscoring the high tempo and physicality expected to define this year’s qualification competition. The weekend’s results set the tone for a tournament in which the top three teams, excluding Fiji and Japan who already qualified, will edge closer to the World Cup through the round-robin format.

Canada’s victory was built around the return of Tyler Ardron, who scored four tries to underline his impact after a four-year absence from the national team. The 34-year-old, who returned to test rugby with Castres in France, produced a landmark performance that helped Canada overturn a tightly contested first half. The opening minutes were marked by American bursts of pressure, including an early lineout penalty and a knock-on that gave Canada momentum. Ardron struck within two minutes for the opening score, and Dom Besag capitalized on a direct line to level the game shortly after. Ardron added a second before halftime, with Peter...