Posted on May18: Marauder rugby player added to senior national team

McMaster University men's rugby player Dan Pletch was
named to the Rugby Canada Senior National team. Pletch joins teammate Aaron Carpenter on the Canadian squad making him the second player (along with Aaron Carpenter) in recent memory to play in both the OUA and the national team concurrently.

Pletch, a second-year student-athlete from London, Ontario, is a two-time OUA All-Star at the prop position.

Carpenter is a second-year player from Brantford. He was the 2003 OUA Player of the Year, and has earned OUA First Team All-Star status in each of his two seasons at the eight-man position.

McMaster also announced three early recruits for the 2004
season.

Garnet Moore (Oshawa, ON – Eastdale CI) is a 6'0″, 200 lb member of the Ontario U18 squad the flanker position.

Nolan Ott (Uxbridge, ON – Uxbridge HS) is a 6'1″, 215 lb member of the Canadian U19 team, also at the flanker position.

Huw Phillips (Sarnia, ON – St. Clair SS) is a 6'0″, 225 lb member of the Ontario U18 team at the prop position.

McMaster is the two-time defending OUA champions (Turner Trophy winners). The team has only lost one game in the past two seasons that coming on October 10, 2002 against The University of Western Ontario 33-18. McMaster finished the 2003 season a perfect 9-0
including a win over Ohio State University 24-15 on Homecoming weekend.

The McMaster team has been coached by OUA Coach of the Year Phillip White for the past two seasons.

The Rugby Canada Senior National team will travel to Japan from May 22-30 to compete in the Super Powers Cup. The tournament features teams from the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada.