Team Canada wing James Pritchard, left, has won 61 caps for Canada with 607 points from 18 tries, 104 conversions and 103 penalties.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
James Pritchard, Canada's leading career points-scorer, has been left off the provisional 35-man national roster for next month's Rugby World Cup.
The 36-year-old fullback became the 20th player to reach 600 points in international play with a 10-point performance in a 21-20 loss to Samoa last week in Toronto. The Australian-born back also took over as Canadian captain when Tyler Ardron was forced off with an injury.
Pritchard, who plays for Bedford Blues in England, has won 61 caps for Canada with 607 points from 18 tries, 104 conversions and 103 penalties.
Former captain Gareth Rees held the previous Canadian record of 491 points. Only Winston Stanley, with 24, has scored more tries for Canada.
In 2006, Pritchard scored a Canadian single-game record 36 points in a 56-7 World Cup qualifying win over the United States with six conversions, three penalty kicks and three tries.
Pritchard's world-class kicking skill has earned him a spot on the Canadian team sheet in the past. But coach Kieran Crowley now has other kicking options in Gord McRorie, Liam Underwood and Connor Braid with Matt Evans and Harry Jones offering more versatile options at fullback.
"Back to real life post-tour. Breakfast with a princess and an Avenger," Pritchard said in posting a picture of his costume-clad kids on social media Thursday.
Crowley named an expanded 35-man roster because of injury question-marks concerning forwards Jamie Cudmore (concussion), Jebb Sinclair (knee) and Jason Marshall (knee) and back Taylor Paris (groin). The final 31-man tournament roster will be announced Aug. 31.
All four of those players are expected to join up with Canada for a five-day camp starting Tuesday in Ottawa.
Ardron (knee) and winger DTH van der Merwe (thumb) were hurt during the Pacific Nations Cup but are expected to recover in time.
Canada, ranked 18th in the world, opens play at the World Cup on Sept. 19 against No. 3 Ireland in Cardiff. Other Group D opponents are No. 7 France, No. 15 Italy and No. 17 Romania.
Canada's pre-tournament schedule has games against the United States on Aug. 22 in Ottawa and the Glasgow Warriors in Halifax on Aug. 29 before flying to England for face final warmups against Georgia on Sept. 2 and Fiji on Sept. 6.
The Canadians are coming off a disappointing 0-4-0 campaign at the Pacific Nations Cup that saw last-second losses to Samoa and the United States.
Pritchard started in just one of those four matches.
At 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, Pritchard cuts a small figure in a game of giants. But he has always been tough as nails and, as a certified personal trainer, has fitness to burn.
In April, he helped the prestigious Barbarians all-star side defeat Heriot's in Edinburgh in an exhibition rugby game that marked the 125th anniversary of both clubs.
Pritchard played rugby league for the Parramatta Eels in Australia's National Rugby League before switching codes to play rugby union for Randwick.
He came to Canada's attentions during a tour of Australia in 2002, when he approached Canadian coach David Clark and asked whether he might consider him for selection. Clark, an Australian himself, said yes – but only if he came to Canada to play.
So Pritchard moved to Regina to join the Prairie Fire. He has been a national team fixture ever since. He made his Canadian debut against the New Zealand Maori in 2003 and went on to play in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
Pritchard qualified to play for Canada by virtue of his Saskatchewan-born grandfather. His great-grandfather had come to Canada from the United Kingdom to work on a farm near Regina.
Also left off the provisional roster were prop Jake Ilnicki, lock/back-rower Callum Morrison and back-rower Thyssen de Goede.