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Canadian prop Jake Ilnicki’s resume is starting to fill up.

After a season at English Aviva Premiership club the Newcastle Falcons, Ilnicki has signed a new contract with Leeds Carnegie, of the second-division RFU Championship.

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“I’m excited and optimistic,” he said Friday after the news was confirmed. “As always when it comes to moving to a new club and league. It’s been a while since I’ve been involved with a club that I can play consistently at and this move is what I need.”

Playing time has been scarce for the Williams Lake man since moving to the U.K. shortly after Christmas 2016. He joined Northampton at that point, another Premiership club, but didn’t see any top team action, though he did help the reserve team win the title.

A summertime move, helped along by the addition of fellow Canadian national teamers DTH van der Merwe and Evan Olmstead, looked promising: it’s not often we’ve seen Canadian front rowers playing for a club in one of the world’s top leagues.

At Newcastle, he did manage to play once in the premiership but was, like at Northampton, mostly a depth player.

Hence his enthusiasm for moving to Leeds.

“Carnegie has a reputation of a good forwards coach and a solid pack, I hope to learn from them as much as possible,” the 26 year old said. “I’ve enjoyed my time at Newcastle. The city is great and we had a good group of guys in the squad to be involved with for the season.”

He’s won 24 caps for Canada and has also played for Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, the New South Wales Country Eagles in Australia’s National Rugby Championship, Manawatu in New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup and for the San Diego Breakers in the lone season of PRO Rugby.

“I’m ready to earn my spot on at the new club and to get a proper pre season in, I haven’t done that in quite a while.”

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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