Iain Adam Exner

  General Information:

The Below Infomation Was Received November 6, 2006:

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Victoria, BC

Canadian international Iain Exner is currently packing his bags. The tight-head prop flies to France on Thursday, November 2nd, to play professionally for the Pau rugby club in southern France.

There, he will join fellow Canadian international, lock Mike Burak, who is currently playing at the Pro D2 club.

Exner won two caps for Canada against England ‘A’ and the USA in the 2005 Churchill Cup; the 27 year-old was recently featured on the iRB’s Total Rugby television program, where his summer job as a forest fire fighter was highlighted.

Exner hails from Rossland BC, and has played for such diverse teams as the Trail Colonials, Burnaby Lake, the Gold Coast Breakers in Australia, Melrose in Scotland, and at the PacificSport’s U-23 Rugby Academy.

More recently the six-foot, 254-pounder has been playing with the Castaway-Wanderers club in Victoria.

“Forrest Gainer, who is playing for Albi, heard that Pau were looking for a tight-head and put a word in for me,” says Exner. “Then Pau talked to Mike about me and they contacted me asking me to send a CV.

“The next thing, they made me an offer. It was pretty much done in a couple of days. I’ve really lucked out to be going to play in southern France. What could be better?”

Exner has a European passport as his mother is Scottish. He also has strong rugby roots in Europe: Exner's grandfather was founder of Ross Sutherland RFC in northern Scotland.

“I think that this is a good career move for me,” says the likeable Exner. “I think the rugby will be more competitive and being in a professional training environment will help me become a better player.”

(The preceeding information courtesy of Mary Finnegan)