If I were a rugby agent or a professional rugby scout, Id be casting my eye at the men hailing from north of the 49th-parallel during the International Rugby Boards November international window. Fake Tigers Jerseys . Eight top Canadian players are missing from Canadas 26-man roster named to face the New Zealand Maori All Blacks in Toronto on November 3rd. While this is an obvious hindrance to Rugby Canada on the day, its also a backhanded compliment. Those top players are good enough that their overseas professional clubs dont want to release them, even for a game against a top representative side that has beaten England, Ireland and the Lions within the past eight years. All Canadian athletes have an international reputation for coming from good stock - strong, fit, hardworking and eager to learn team players who are full of character. Over half of the players in the NHL come from Canada because thats our game – but Id bet the farm our athletes would thrive at with whatever sport saturated this country. Professional rugby is starting to tap into our countrys natural athlete resource – hence the 14 or so Canadians currently playing professionally overseas – but Rugby Canada wants to establish itself as a favourite hunting ground for agents, scouts and for its XVs players especially. Rugby Canada has identified a long-term strategic plan of signing their XVs athletes with professional clubs overseas for a number of reasons. A disclaimer: Canada isnt shopping its athletes around recklessly. A parent wouldnt trust their kid in just anyones care and Rugby Canada is taking the same approach. If the quality of an interested pro club is there, from staff to teammates, competition to environment, then that club becomes a genuine contender to be almost a foster parent for Rugby Canadas athlete. Likewise, just as every club may not be the right fit, life overseas isnt for every athlete either. It should always come down to the individual athlete and whats best for their personal development, both athletically and mentally. Having made the disclaimer, there are still several reasons the Canadian rugby program can look to overseas clubs for help in its long-term development: 1. There isnt enough IRB funding for a Tier 2 team in a country as vast as Canada to get players playing at a consistently high level day in and day out like they can in nations where rugby is a priority sport. Without a consistent high performance atmosphere, progress would be stilted. 2. Rugby Sevens, with its induction into the Olympics, has become the financial and commercial priority through programs like Own the Podium, for the women especially. XVs in North America doesnt need to go the way of the dinosaur, but it just needs to be managed differently. 3. For the players who do sign overseas professionally, what they bring back to the Canadian training environment from a professional one is priceless, and raises everyones expectations starting with the players. Its not that there is a conscious complacency in the Canadian environment, but if an athlete has never been exposed to what it takes to get to the international level, theyll never know what they need to change to get there. Now time to play devils advocate. Critics of this methodology will suggest that its an insult to Canadian rugby to just up and leave for greener (or richer) pastures or point to games like the upcoming NZ Maori one as a blown chance for Canada to make a statement internationally. If an Australian hockey player (or a South African or a New Zealander or a Welsh one, etc.) wanted to improve, what country would they move to give themselves the best possible chance at making the highest level? Exactly. Those same critics who want to keep the homegrown talent at home will probably also point out the number of foreigners within Rugby Canadas administration, at the coaching level especially, taking jobs away from Canadian rugby coaches. When your car breaks down, you bring in a mechanic. When you need to do taxes, you hire an accountant. When you need help, you bring in an expert (eventually – but probably not until after youve stubbornly tried to do it yourself, of course.) This is when the bigger picture needs to find its way into the conversation. Sport creates stewards and rugby does so especially. When players leave to go overseas, there is an expectation it was done with this bigger picture in mind. Every person is different and life happens, but there comes a time in an athletes – in everyones - careers where the question of "What now?" needs to be answered. Gareth Rees, Hans de Goede, Mike James, Al Charron and Morgan Williams – all former Canadian international greats who have returned with a world of experience and to give their time back to Canada from the grassroots level and up. Rugby Canada have a number of foreigners on their staff and they, too, are in the midst of this stewardship, giving back to the sport that raised and shaped them. This means they are away from their own homes and probably uprooted their families to do it. It is a cycle, even if it takes a while to develop or see. The current Canadian squad is bolstered by a number players who are proof of the gains made individually and have returned to the group. Okotoks 22-year-old Jeff Hassler was scooped up by the Ospreys for a two-year contract after just four caps and a year on the IRB Sevens circuit. The hare-footed Hassler is missing a Heineken Cup match against Munster for this New Zealand Maori match. Niagara, Ontarios 33-year-old journeyman Ray Barkwill took a less conventional route and didnt wait for the scouts to find him. He eventually played his way onto Super Rugbys Western Force, proving heart and grit are bigger than age and height. And an even more erratic trail was blazed by the baby-faced, Jake Ilnicki (dont let the beard fool you.) 21-year-old Ilnicki took the same initiative and risk as Barkwill, moving from Williams Lake, British Columbia all the way to the Auckland Colts, back to Canada for the Americas Rugby Championship and will now most likely face the Maori on Sunday. Rugby Canada could help its athletes and, therefore, its program by building a two-way pipeline to strengthen relationships with professional clubs, agents and scouts and start to establish Canada as a go-to nation for professional rugby to recruit from. If you build it, they will come - and the players will go and come back. Cheap Tigers Jerseys . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Custom Detroit Tigers Jerseys . Aaron Hill and Cliff Pennington hit home runs in the first inning for the Diamondbacks, who beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night. https://www.cheaptigers.com/ .J. Mayo made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20, and the Milwaukee Bucks placed seven players in double figures in a 130-110 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their 11th straight game on Monday night. MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Desperate to stop Tom Bradys latest comeback bid, the Miami Dolphins sought help from a reserve safety making his NFL debut after being signed Tuesday off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. Michael Thomas came through, intercepting Bradys fourth-down pass in the end zone with 2 seconds left Sunday to seal a seesaw 24-20 victory over the New England Patriots. Thomas celebrated by flopping to his back and was swarmed by his new teammates. "I didnt know what his first name was," defensive tackle Jared Odrick said. "Thats being thrown in the fire and reacting. Thats a pure athlete." The Dolphins (8-6) won their third game in a row to help their AFC wild-card chances. They also snapped a streak of seven consecutive losses to the Patriots (10-4), who missed a chance to clinch their fifth consecutive AFC East title. Miamis breakthrough win left even stoic second-year coach Joe Philbin in a mood to celebrate. "I might jump in my pool," he said. "Ive been in it once since Ive been here." Brady threw for 364 yards, but was frustrated by a succession of squandered scoring chances. He answered only two questions at his postgame news conference before cutting the session short. "We didnt do a good job in the red area, and didnt do a good job finishing drives," he said. "We came up on the short end of the stick. It wasnt a good day. Just couldnt make enough plays." The Patriots had mounted second-half rallies to win their past three games, and were on the verge of doing it again when Brady led them from their own 20 with 1:15 remaining to the Miami 14. "The longest 75 seconds of my life," said Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who squirmed on the sideline. With New England out of timeouts, Brady threw for the end zone four times in a row. The first three passes went incomplete, including one intended for Danny Amendola that Thomas broke up on first down. Then, Thomas stepped in front of Austin Collie to make his interception. "I knew being the new guy that Tom Brady would come after me," Thomas said. "Hes a great quarterback, and hes going to exploit any weaknesses. I knew if I got in there I would have a chance. I saw the ball in the air and I made a play." Thomas was part of an injury-depleted secondary that also included backups at both cornerback spots on the final drive. A large supporting cast has played a siggnificant role in the recent success of the Dolphins, who are 5-2 since tackle Jonathan Martin left the team in a bullying scandal that drew national notoriety. Stitched Tigers Jerseys. "Weve grown a lot," Tannehill said. "Each of us has gotten stronger through the adversity weve faced off the field and on the field." Tannehill shook off four sacks to throw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, including a 14-yarder to Marcus Thigpen with 1:15 left that provided the winning margin. His other scoring passes covered 39 yards to Mike Wallace and 2 yards to Daniel Thomas. Brady went 34 for 55 and threw two scores. Julian Edelman made 13 catches for 139 yards, and Amendola added 10 receptions for 131 yards. New England took a 20-17 lead when Edelman scored on a 24-yard reception with four minutes left, but the Dolphins caught a break when the ensuing kickoff by Stephen Gostkowski went out of bounds, allowing them to start at their 40. Charles Clay kept the driving going when he turned a short pass into a 6-yard gain on fourth and 5 at midfield, and Thigpen scored five plays later. New England, accustomed to slow starts, took a 10-0 lead on Michael Hoomanawanuis one-handed, 13-yard touchdown reception. But on other trips to the red zone they missed tight end Rob Gronkowski, who suffered a season-ending knee injury a week ago. The Patriots mounted drives of 16 and 15 plays but settled for a field goal each time, and Gostkowski misfired on a field-goal try for only the third time this year when he sailed a 48-yard attempt wide left. "Today just wasnt my day," Gostkowski said. "It stinks to play terrible and your team loses. Its like salt on the wound." Special teams were only part of the Pats problem, coach Bill Belichick said. "We were short in every area," he said. "Nothing was really good enough." Notes: Patriots T Nate Solder aggravated a head injury in the second half and sat out rest of game. ... Dolphins DT Paul Soliai sat out the last three quarters with an ankle injury. CB Nolan Carroll (knee) was limited in the second half, and CB Brent Grimes (cramps) went to the sideline in the fourth quarter. ... The Dolphins botched a field-goal try when John Denney snapped the ball before holder Brandon Fields was ready, and the ball hit Fields in the face mask. ... Miamis seven home games have been decided by a total of 23 points. ' ' '