Having qualified for their 10th World Championship, Canada will be aiming to improve on their all-time best showing of ninth place, which they achieved in Greece in 1994. Coached by Glenn Hoag, the Canadians eased through qualifying with a 100 per cent record in a group that also contained Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama.

Playing in a region that includes USA and Cuba, it’s been a case of ‘always the bridesmaid’ for Canada. They have finished runners-up five times in the NORCECA Championship – most recently in 2013 – and taken the bronze medal on 13 occasions, but have never won the competition despite also never finishing outside the top four.

The Canadians finished fourth in the 1984 Olympic Games, and at the Pan American Games they have won two bronze medals, in 1979 and 1999.
 
They remain on the fringes of the elite though, with World League finishes of 12th in 2012, a best-ever-finish of fifth in 2013, and 13th in 2014. The have competed in the World Cup four times, with a best finish of seventh in 2003.