VANCOUVER – Seven UBC Thunderbirds men's rugby players helped Canada qualify for the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy later this summer in Bucharest, Romania.
 
Elias Ergas, Will Percillier, Tyler Rowland, Owain Ruttan, Michael Smith, Sam Turner, and Kevin Vertkas were all part of a Canadian squad that dispatched the United States this weekend 82-62 in a two-match, aggregate-score series to earn the North American berth to the international competition.
 
Last Tuesday, Canada dominated Game 1 in College Station, Texas, crushing the US by a score of 60-22.
 
Smith and Vertkas each scored a pair of tries, while Ergas added another as UBC players contributed 25 of Canada's 60 points on the day.
 

FT | Canada's U-20 Men's Team has progressed to the Junior @WorldRugby Trophy after qualifying via aggregate points against @USARugby! Stay tuned for post-match reaction and images.

Game 1? ???? 60-22 ????
Game 2? ???? 22-40 ????
Qualification ?#CANvUSA #RugbyCA??

— Rugby Canada (@RugbyCanada) June 16, 2018

The US earned a 40-22 triumph in Houston, Texas, in the series finale but it wasn't enough to overcome Canada's overwhelming advantage from the opening match. Ergas recored two tries for the red and white.
 
The 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy will take place Aug. 24 to Sept. 10. Canada will join join host Romania, Fiji, Hong Kong, Namibia, Portugal, Samoa, and Uruguay.
 
Canada placed seventh at last year's World Rugby Under 20 Trophy in Uruguay.