Despite some potent weapons at his disposal, Canadian coach Gary Johnston knows the bottom line facing Canada at the International Rugby Board Under-19 World Championship.


His budget for the year is $16,000, compared to $100,000 for Italy and $140,000 for the U.S. - two other teams jostling with Canada to climb out of the second tier of the 24-team competition that opens Wednesday in Belfast. Elite sides like defending champion Australia, New Zealand, England and France have even more resources.


Canada opens Wednesday against Zimbabwe, a newcomer to the tournament.

The IRB pays the bill for 30 people for each country competing.
But the Canadian players each paid $2,000 to take part in a 10-day training camp in Phoenix in February and another $500 for their gear and a camp in England in advance of this tournament.

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The competition is split into two 12-team pools and only the top team in the lower level moves up. Last year in Dubai, Fiji defeated Tonga 22-14 to win Pool B and secure promotion. Romania dropped out of Pool A.


Canada's goal is to win Pool B and Johnston knows it will only get tougher after Zimbabwe as his squad tackles Russia on Sunday and then Romania on April 12.


"We start against Zimbabwe and then it gets harder against Russia, it will get harder again against Romania and then I believe Tonga and Italy are the two teams we fear the most," Johnston said.


The event runs through April 21.


The complicated tournament format has Canada in a sub-group with Georgia and the U.S. The teams don't play each other, but do take on common opponents. The Canadians need to have the best record of the three to reach the final four of the overall pool and have a chance at winning promotion.


The Canadians finished fourth in Pool B last year, which at least allowed them to skip qualifying this time around.


"We've brought a bigger team because when I was in Dubai I thought Canada was pretty big but we were dwarfed by the major rugby-playing countries and teams like Italy," Johnston said. "And same this year. They are big, big teams."


Canada is captained by Victoria scrum half Sean White with tighthead prop Mauro Perizzolo serving as vice-captain. The six-foot-two, 250-pound Perizzolo, who plays for Burnaby Lake RFC, is a provincial wrestling champion in B.C.


Johnston has high hopes for fly half Nathan Hirayama, who plays for the University of Victoria and Richmond RFC.


"I think he's the next world-class player to come out of Canada. And I think for the 2011 World Cup he would be one of the stars. He's a marvellous player, he's already on the Canada sevens team, he's carded at 18 years old, He's a future superstar and team leader."


Other players to watch are returning veteran Matt Evans, a centre from Duncan, B.C., who plays for Hartpury College in England, and 6-2, 250-pound prop Russell Ward of Barrie, Ont.


The Canadians went 2-1 in pool play last year before losing 20-13 to Fiji in a playoff and then 35-8 to Italy in the battle for fourth place.


Notes: Johnston says the rumour is the IRB plans to rejig the tournament, creating an under-20 event and dropping the existing under-19 and under-21 competitions. ... Teams in Pool A stay in local hotels, those in Pool B are put up at a local school. At least the Canadians have individual rooms.


Source: Slam Sports