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For Mark Anscombe and Team Canada’s rugby squad, the short-term goal is to improve on last weekend’s performance.

The long-term goal?

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Preparing a larger group of talented players with international games under their belt ahead of the next four-year World Cup cycle and, hopefully, improve on their world ranking along the way.

“The team was incredible at the last World Cup but we didn’t win a game,” said Anscombe as the weekend festivities kicked off with a media launch on Tuesday at the Calgary Tower. “What we need to do is make sure we put ourselves in a position at the next world cup and win a couple of games.

That’s going to show the progress to move up the ladder in the world. Ideally, we’d like to get up to No. 12 or 13 (in the world). If we can do that, that’ll show a little progress.”

At last fall’s 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, Canada was the top American qualifier and competed in Group D along with Ireland, France, Italy, and Romania but finished without a ‘W.’