Cochrane's James O'Neill, 20, is captain of the U20 Canadian rugby team that is now en route to Romania to compete for the Junior World Rugby Trophy, Aug. 28 to Sept. 9.

As a veteran of last year's team, the open side flanker is looking for a better performance by the Canadians this time around as they join seven other teams in the hunt for the trophy and the opportunity to be promoted to the 2019 Junior World Championships.

"It should be a good experience," says O'Neill. "We're always excited to go and compete. Last year we didn't do very well. This year we really want to make a name for ourselves and leave our mark on the tournament."

The team has a number of veterans returning from last year's cup--including Jack McCarthy, Elias Ergas, Brennig Prevost, Will Percillier--and that should help them strive to finish on top, he believes.

O'Neill was introduced to the game when he was nine during an indoor session at the SLS Family Sports Centre and he has continued to excel at the sport since. From grade 10-12, he played at the Shawnigan Lake School. He's also played for a number of other teams and went to New Zealnd for a six-month stint.

It's been a whirlwind of play for O'Neill these past few years.

"Honestly, in the last three or four years, I've probably played in 13-14 different countries."

He's never played for the Bow Valley Grizzlies but both his father and brother are involved with the club.

He's now in his third year in the University of Victoria rugby program, where he started with their second tier Norsemen before making the jump to their top team, the Vikes, last season. He's a national university silver medallist and was selected as a Canadian university all-star

Among his teammates is Tyler Rockwell, 20, who also made the cut for the U20 Canadian team. Rockwell played for Calgary's James Bay AA but is no stranger to the Bow Valley Rugby Club. He has participated in off-season training offered by Griz Head Coach Tyler Hawes for the last three years and praises the program.

"In the three years I did it, I saw massive improvement."

Missing last season, due to injuries, he's excited about the opportunity to represent Canada at the worlds.

"It's a privilege to be part of the squad," he says.

Rockwell is coming into his first season with the Vikes.

Canada opens the tournament against Portugal, a finalist in last year's tournament, on Aug. 28. They face Uruguay on Sept. 1 and Fiji on Sept. 5 to determine their placement in the Sept. 9 finals.

Canada named its roster after a win over the U23 B.C. team on Aug. 20 during their last camp at Shawnigan Lake, B.C. In May, they started with 45 players at the first tryout and by the end, 26 players from across Canada were selected.