Canada flanker Chauncey O'Toole shone at the Churchill Cup and has found himself named in the Canucks' World Cup squad © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Jamie Cudmore | Chauncey O'Toole | DTH van der Merwe

Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup

Teams: Canada

Canada are the first nation to unveil their 30-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Coach Kieran Crowley has named 11 players who featured at the 2007 World Cup, including captain and hooker Pat Riordan, vice captain and fly-half Anders Monro and wing DTH van der Merwe. Only seven of the squad ply their trade professionally with the remainder playing in the Canadian Rugby Championship. Canada face a tough group in New Zealand and will line-up against the hosts, France, Japan and Tonga in Pool A.

Crowley was pleased with his selection and labelled the squad as "Canada's best team". "It's been an exhaustive process that we really started three years ago," said Crowley. "We used everything at our disposal to get where we have and it's probably the first time since I've been here that we've been able to take Canada's best team."

Taylor Paris is the youngest member of the squad and will be just 19 when Canada kick-off their campaign against Tonga in Whangarei on September 14, the wing having won three caps since his debut against Belgium last November. In contrast, at 35, prop Frank Walsh is the oldest. "A lot of these players will be available for the next World Cup," added Crowley. "Youth brings excitement, but you've also got to have that experience in the squad. We're pretty happy with the balance we've found."

Canada will step up their preparations with home and away Tests with North America rivals USA in early August before heading to Australia for a training camp and matches against the Queensland Selects and Australian Barbarians.

The deadline for the 20 participating nations to declare their final 30-man squad is 22 August.

Canada squad

Forwards: Ryan Hamilton, Pat Riordan (captain), Hubert Buydens, Scott Franklin, Jason Marshall, Andrew Tiedemann, Frank Walsh, Jamie Cudmore, Brian Erichsen, Tyler Hotson, Aaron Carpenter, Nanyak Dala, Adam Kleeberger, Jeremy Kyne, Chauncey O'Toole, Jebb Sinclair.

Backs: Ed Fairhurst, Jamie Mackenzie, Sean White, Nathan Hirayama, Ander Monro, Ryan Smith, Conor Trainor, Phil Mackenzie, Mike Scholz, DTH van der Merwe, Ciaran Hearn, Taylor Paris, Matt Evans, James Pritchard.