An athlete the media has called a former "street thug" who used to roam the streets of Squamish collecting debts from drug users is now the darling of the Canadian rugby world.
In a profile of 28-year-old Jamie Cudmore published in The Toronto Star last week, Cudmore said he got caught up in the drug and biker scene growing up in Squamish. Because of his size - he's currently listed at six foot six and 256 pounds - he would collect drug money for dealers.
Cudmore said he decided to leave Squamish after hosting the New Year's Eve party in 1997 that ended with the beating death of Bob McIntosh.
"I just decided, especially after [the New Year's Eve incident], that Squamish was kind of closing in on me," Cudmore told The Star.
"If I wanted to really get going with rugby I'd have to move to a bigger club and not kind of get sucked in to the same Friday, Saturday problems that I had been having."
Cudmore moved to West Vancouver where he played for the Capilano Rugby Football Club, and the game "became the biggest part of my life," he said.
He first represented Canada on the World Cup scene in 2003, and earned the nickname "Cuddles" from his teammates, according to his Wikipedia profile.
Cudmore is again representing Canada at the current World Cup in a team Agence France-Presse has called "abrasive" and other media outlets have called "gritty."
Cudmore wowed crowds in a match against Wales in France on Sunday (Sept. 9), when he scored to help Canada gain an early - and surprising - 17-9 lead against the notorious heavy-hitters.
"You gave us the fright of our lives," Wales Coach Gareth Jenkins said in a Rugby Canada report.
Wales shook off the shock however to regain the lead and win 42-17.
Canada returns to the field in Wales on Sunday (Sept. 16) in a match against Fiji, then faces Japan in France on Tuesday Sept. 25 and stays in France to take on the powerful Australian team on Sept. 29.
