Canada men's rugby coach Stephen Meehan, right, has looked for positives in a 1-7-0 run through 2025. His team has struggled with roster inconsistency, as players juggle commitments and have been limited by injury.

The Canadian men’s rugby team is seeing more of Europe than expected on its November tour.

Between games in Romania, Georgia and Portugal, the squad has spent a fair bit of time cooling its heels in Istanbul due to travel issues.

“I know the airport quite well,” Canada coach Stephen Meehan said dryly, “but I don’t know the city at all.”

After opening with a 31-21 loss to 21st-ranked Romania on Nov. 8, the team’s scheduled flight out of Bucharest was cancelled, forcing it to overnight in Istanbul. The travelling party landed in Batumi, Georgia, a day later, cutting into its p

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