Mike Sheppard didn't intend on getting involved in rugby when he entered high school, but once he did, he never looked back.

The Brampton native grew up as the eldest of four children and since he was big for his age heading into his first year at Bramalea Secondary School, he really wanted to play high school football.

"We didn’t have a football team, but we had this volunteer (coach), a guy named Mike Shannon ... and he wanted to start a rugby program," Sheppard said. "He told me to come on out and try it, said I might like it because I’m a big guy and I ended up loving it.”

Bramalea did end up fielding a football team that Sheppard became a part of in his last two years of high school, but by that time, he said he knew rugby was the sport for him.

It's a good thing he stuck with that route because he's now a member of the senior national team as it prepares for the Rugby World Cup in Japan from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2.

Sheppard, 30, made his national team debut in November and helped Canada qualify for the World Cup. Canada will be in a tough group at the World Cup as they have round-robin games scheduled against reigning champion New Zealand and South Africa — ranked fourth in the world — as well as Italy and Namibia.

Sheppard feels ranking in the top three in their pool and earning an automatic bid to the next World Cup in 2023 is a realistic goal.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, Sheppard will get his first chance to compete in Ontario as a national team member when Canada hosts prominent Irish club Leinster in a World Cup tune up match in Hamilton.

While he first became attracted to rugby because of the physicality, there are other elements of the game Sheppard has grown to love, such as the environment, competition and inspiration to constantly improve.

"I’m turning 31 this year, so that’s getting up there in the age category for a contact sport," he said. "But it’s good to keep pushing your body and seeing what limits can be pushed.”

