The first two months of 2018 were action-packed for rugby player Doug Fraser.
A product of the Cowichan Rugby Football Club who grew up in Ladysmith, Fraser earned his first three caps with the national senior men’s XV over a two-week span in late February and early March, playing his first game with the team right here on Vancouver Island.
“It was pretty surreal, especially the first game, my first cap, in Langford,” Fraser said during a quick visit home just days after playing his third game for Canada. “It made it easy for my family and friends to see it.”
Fraser’s first appearance for the national team took place in an Americas Rugby Championship match on Feb. 17 at Langford’s Westhills Stadium. Starting at outside centre, Fraser ended up scoring a try as Canada routed Brazil 45-5.
Fraser was just doing his job, “being a nuisance at the breakdown,” when he opened a hole for national team veteran Phil Mack, then followed him through in support.
“He was nice enough to offhand it to me for a gift first try,” Fraser said, laughing.
Fraser began playing rugby at Ladysmith Intermediate in Grade 7, and soon after started playing for the CRFC U14 side. He continued to play at school until he graduated in 2010, and with the Cowichan junior program through the U16 and U18 levels. By the time he was in Grade 12, he was playing with the senior men as well.
“I played Div. 1 mostly, but I got into a few Premier games with the Piggies,” he recalled. “I played a lot of rugby my Grade 12 year. It sure did help.”
After graduation, he went to UVic, where he played five years on the Vikes team coached by Doug Tate. After earning his degree in Canadian history, with a minor in political science, he stayed in Victoria, playing club rugby for the Castaway Wanderers and for the BC Bears in the summer, while also getting onto Rugby Canada’s radar.
“A couple of years ago I did two Canada A tours, but I never heard back from them,” he explained.
Not until this year, at least.
“It was pretty exciting,” Fraser remembered. “I got an email about being invited to a camp in January [in Victoria]. My goal was to have a good camp and get invited to another one.”
That invitation came sooner than he expected, and he joined the team for another camp immediately after in London, England. After that, he was released for two World Cup qualifier games against Uruguay in late January and early February, then got called up again to play in the ARC.
“It’s been a crazy two months,” he grinned.
After his debut in Langford, Fraser started the next two games, a 40-15 loss to Argentina’s second team in Argentina on Feb. 24, and a 33-17 win over Chile in Chile on March 3. Also suiting up for Canada during the ARC series were Shawnigan Lake School products Djustice Sears-Duru, Dustin Dobravsky and Guiseppe Du Toit.
His national team debut behind him, Fraser is taking a quick break — “It’s been all rugby the last two months” — but he won’t be resting long.
“I’ve got my eyes on getting selected for the June tour,” he said, noting that the national team will be playing a three-game series in Canada that month, although venues haven’t been announced yet.
While he visited Ladysmith, Fraser took in a preseason game between his old 49ers team and Glenlyon Norfolk School, pleased to see the program in action again.
“It’s nice to see there’s a senior boys team again,” he said. “It’s nice to see kids playing and the school having a team. Some of my best memories come from high school rugby.”