The Brock Badgers men's rugby team has been infused with talent for the upcoming 2025 season. 

"We are excited to welcome another strong recruiting class this year as we continue to build on the strong foundation this program has laid," said head coach Sean Medeiros. "We look forward to supporting their development and growth as Badgers." 

Stewart Davis, Sam Morreale and Gavin Say, all graduates of the Canada under-18 program, featured well in Rugby Canada's under-18 summer development camp held in Guelph, Ont., from July 1-7. 

Davis, a six-foot-one hooker from Pickering, Ont., has played for the Ajax Wanderers Rugby Football Club (RFC) and Dunbarton High School for the past four years. 

The incoming Sociology major also made the Ontario Junior Blues at the U15 level and has also competed for the Toronto Reds at the Ontario Games. 

"I felt like Brock had the facilities to help me grow as an athlete and great school facilities to further my education," Davis said. "I think that my time at the University is going to be well worth it and is going to be a strong fit for me going forward."

Fortifying the back line Morreale is a 5-6 scrum half with Team Ontario and vast club experience with the Burlington Centaurs. 

With the Niagara Rugby Union (NRU), the Stoney Creek, Ont., product won the Ontario Summer Games at the U15 and U18 levels, and he qualified for the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Championships with Saltfleet District High School. 

"The Business Administration program matched my interests in my further education," Morreale said. "Also, I chose Brock because I appreciate the school culture, along with the rugby team's culture."

Say, a 6-3 front row player from Cobourg Ont., rounds out the group of Team Canada U18 camp recruits. He began playing at age seven while growing up overseas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

He has since represented the Toronto Rugby Union (TRU) U17, Team Ontario Interbranch U17 and the Ontario Blues Development Academy (OBDA), while playing for the Coburg Saxons since 2017. 

"I liked that the campus has a more close-knit feel, which will help me focus and be successful in both my studies and rugby," Say said. "Brock's strong rugby program and great coaching staff give me the opportunity to grow as a player and a student." 

Along with signing three athletes who have participated in Team Canada camps, Medeiros has added five more athletes who have experience with a regional and provincial programs in Ethan Apap-Joyce, Gavin Birch-Balfour, Gavin Hoyle, Finlay McKillop and Thomas O'Grady.  

Able to play along the back three, Apap-Joyce comes to Brock by way of Toronto and the Balmy Beach Club, where he has played since 2014. 

The Kinesiology enrollee was named to Team Ontario at the U15 level and was on the TRU Reds U17 squad at the Ontario Summer Games as well.  

"I chose to come here because of the academic programs and campus community," Apap-Joyce said. "The coaches have built a promising program, and I hope to be part of that." 

Birch-Balfour is a 6-2 back row who comes to the Badgers from the Aurora Barbarians and the Toronto Reds, and he spent this past offseason with the OBDA. 

He enters Brock's prestigious BBA Co-Op International Double Degree, joining Aiden Beggs for a unique opportunity to study the first two years at the University followed by the next two in Ireland. 

"This program provides our student athletes the opportunity to not only expand their academic horizons on the international stage, but also exposure to top level rugby in Ireland," Medeiros said. 

Birch-Balfour said the program quickly caught his attention. 

"The unique Dual Degree Business program immediately stood out to me the minute I learned about it during the open house presentation," he said. "Beyond the excellent opportunities abroad, this program builds a strong foundation in both Canadian and international business, aligning perfectly with my long-term career aspirations." 

Hoyle is the first of two centres signed by Medeiros this recruiting cycle, who has spent time with the OBDA and comes from the renowned Brantford Harlequins program, where he was a two-year captain. 

At Brantford Collegiate Institute, Hoyle won an OFSAA gold medal, one regional title and four city championships. 

"I chose Brock University because of its great Concurrent Education program and athletic teams," Hoyle said. "The campus is awesome and has a sense of community that I feel suited me." 

McKillop, the second centre signed, has played alongside Say with the Cobourg Saxons. 

A product of St. Mary's Secondary School and the OBDA, the native of Cobourg, Ont., will study at the well-known Sport Management program here at the University. 

"I'm excited to get started," McKillop said. "Brock's academics and resources, as well as the strong rugby program, will give me opportunities to develop as a player and as a student." 

Rounding out provincial team members joining the Badgers is O'Grady, a 5-9 winger from Cannington, Ont., who has spent 14 years playing for the Brock Rugby Club out of the Brock township. 

O'Grady, who plans to study Psychology, spent three seasons with the OBDA, and he won a silver medal with TRU at the 2024 Ontario Summer Games. 

"Brock is the best fit for my overall growth as both a rugby player and as a student," O'Grady said. "The facilities at Brock are amazing for both academics and for sports as well as having a great team environment." 

These eight players will be joining a team that has been in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs the last few seasons, consistently establishing itself as a contender in men's rugby.