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Richmond Hill, Ont. It will be a rookie-laden Canadian national men's team Sevens squad going to the final two events of the International Rugby Board World Series in England and Scotland.

Naming six new caps into the side, with the remainder having first or second-year experience, it will be an eye-opening experience for the team, that has been blooding new players throughout the 2007/08 season for just this scenario, when series regulars would be called in for other duties such as Barclays Churchill Cup assemblies, North America Four team duties and other facts of amateur sporting life in Canada such as school final exams.

Making their debuts on the Sevens circuit are New Brunswickers Chauncey O'Toole of Springfield and Jebb Sinclair of Charters Settlement, who join fellow East Coaster Robert Wilson (of Newfoundland) as Canada's newest members of the IRB circuit.

Coach Shane Thompson said the sevens team Canada has been sending around the world this year has been of a newer vintage than years past, but he says the development the young players receive will pay dividends down the road.

"There is so much rugby right now and there is a lot of conflicts - but it gives other guys a chance and they could end up going to the World Cup (in Dubai in 2009)," Thompson said. "It is a chance to see these six (new) guys in action, which is very valuable."

Thompson added there are a number of important dynamics taking place within the team when bringing a relatively young team to an IRB event.

"Players' roles shift up one," he says, "guys who were on the bench become starters. The guys who normally start but aren't in a leading role become leaders.

"We are developing different leaders with different qualities. I hope these young players have a positive attitude about the selection and take advantage of it for the opportunity it is."

Canada has a tough draw in England, taking on the high flying Fijians, Australia and Portugal on the May 24 weekend in London.

Then a quick trip to the north takes them to Scotland for the weekend of May 31 and what Thompson said is a better draw to wrap the 2007/2008 season. In Edinburgh Canada faces Samoa, Wales and Spain.

"They are all tough these days (tournament draws) and every pool you look at there are no more freebies," said the former captain of the team, who transitioned to the coaching role two seasons ago. "All the teams are good down to the tenth spot."

He goes on to say that the second week should net better results in part, "because of a week of training together and the new players will have had a tournament of experience to draw on at that point."

It has been a long season for Thompson and the Canadian team with a lot of new players cycling through the program, and only a scant two points to show for their efforts with a Plate final appearance in the enlarged 24-team Hong Kong tournament in March. This season wrapping tour will give a shot in the arm to the rookies and give the cast regulars something to build towards in preparation for World Cup qualifiers this October in Bahamas.

"People need to be patient and wait for these young guys to develop," Thompson said. "It is such a big leap for them to play club rugby one weekend and then take on New Zealand in Sevens the next. We will see the benefits of this in four or five years."