National Team 7s Camps Begin in Langford for Men and Women: Training Camp Squads Announced
There’s a good mix of talent in the training squads announced for both the men and women. The camp started November 6th and the men’s squad will be preparing for the RAN 7s tournament in Trinidad starting November 21st, the women’s squad will be preparing for the SVNS series in Dubai starting November 29th.
The women have some experience with players like Krissy Scurfield, Carissa Norsten, Breanne Nicholas, Piper Logan, Pam Buisa, Charity Williams, Chloe Daniels and that would be a good starting 7 right there. Missing are players like Olivia Apps, Sophie de Goede, Sabrina Poulin, Fancy Bermudez, Alysha Corrigan who are playing in the PWR league in the UK. Also missing from the last SVNS tournament in LA are Florence Symonds, Shalaya Valenzuela and Asia Hogan-Rochester. It will be interesting to see the travelling squad of 13 that will be chosen for Dubai.
The men’s team also has some experience with Thomas Isherwood, Elias Hancock, Rhys James, James Thiel, Ethan Turner, Ethan Hager, Kainoa Lloyd, Jamie Armstrong, all those players were at the LA 7s when Canada failed to qualify for the Division 2 series. It’s good to see the return of Lachlan Kratz and D’Shawn Bowen to the men’s 7s squad. Missing from that LA 7s squad are Alex Russell, Brenden Black, Kal Sager. Also missing due to the men’s XVs Europe tour, Morgan di Nardo and Kyle Tremblay.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S SEVENS TEAM CAMP ROSTER
Savannah Bauder (North Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia / Capilano RFC
Justine Blatt-Janmatt (Wolfville, NS) – Westshore RFC / Valley Rugby Union / University of Victoria
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
Emily Clark (Mississauga, ON) – Guelph Goats
Monique Coffey (Dauphin, MB) – Scion Sirens
Kendra Cousineau (Port Colborne, ON) – Niagara Wasps
Chloe Daniels (Sutton, Ont.) – Aurora Barbarians / Queen’s University
Maddy Donnelly (Little Britain, ON) – Brock RFC / Aurora Barbarians
Carmen Izyk (High River, AB) – Foothills Lions / Queen’s University / RCTPM
Tia Jordo (Kelowna, BC) – Kelowna Crows / University of British Columbia
Eden Kilgour (Barrie, ON) – Westshore RFC / University of Victoria
Piper Logan (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Hornets / University of British Columbia
Brogan Mior (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions
Breanne Nicholas (Blenheim, ON) – Kent Havoc RFC
Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, SK) – Kirin RWC / University of Victoria
Ivy Poetker (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Rams
Adia Pye (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / University of British Columbia
Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB) – University of Victoria
Kennedi Stevenson (Georgetown, ON) – Brantford Harlequins
Zina Umeh (Calgary, AB) – Canucks Rugby Club
Ava Van Santen (Aldergrove, BC) – Burnaby Lake Rugby Club / Trinity Western University
Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) – Markham Irish / University of British Columbia
Larah Wright (Calgary, AB) – University of Victoria
CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS TEAM CAMP ROSTER
Cooper Allen (Thornbury, ON) – Georgian Bay Titans
Jamie Armstrong (Ottawa, ON) – Ottawa Irish / University of Ottawa
D’Shawn Bowen (Toronto, ON) – James Bay AA
Drew Belbin (Nanaimo, BC) – Westshore RFC
Taine Clague (Victoria, BC) – Westshore RFC
Andy Cooper (Vancouver, BC) – Meralomas
Harry Corkum (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars
Thomas Cuzange (Toulon, France) – Pacific Pride
Johnny Franklin (Bowen Island, BC) – Capilano RFC
Ethan Hager (Brantford, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Castaway Wanderers
Elias Hancock (Ottawa, ON) – Bytown Blues / University of Ottawa
Thomas Isherwood (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions RFC / Westshore RFC
Austin James (Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC / East Coast Bays RFC
Rhys James (Kelowna, BC) – UBC Okanagan / Pacific Pride
Ian Jones (Bass River, NS) – Pictou County RFC
Jesse Kilgour (Oro-Medonte, ON) – Barrie RFC / Pacific Pride
Lockie Kratz (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers
Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) – Mississauga Blues / James Bay AA
Michael Moloney (Lyndoch, South Australia) – Capilano RFC
Liam Poulton (Chilliwack, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Pacific Pride
Glenn Roy (Ottawa, ON) – Ottawa Irish
Koen Schroeder (Stoney Creek, ON) – Burlington Centaurs
James Thiel (Abbotsford, BC) – Abbotsford RFC
Luke Toroca (Nadi, FIJ) – Sabeto Rugby Club / Langley Rugby Club
Ethan Turner (Maple Ridge, BC) – Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
from Rugby Canada
Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, Jocelyn Barrieau, and Interim Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team, Christiaan Esterhuizen, have each named their training camp squads ahead of the teams’ first competitions of the 2025–26 sevens season.
Both teams will assemble at the Al Charron Rugby Canada National Training Centre in Langford for a training camp beginning Thursday, November 6.
Last season, the Canadian women closed out their campaign with three consecutive podium finishes on the HSBC SVNS Series, earning third-place results in Hong Kong and Singapore before capturing a bronze medal at the HSBC SVNS World Championships in Los Angeles, where they defeated rivals USA in the third-place playoff.
“We’re thrilled to bring a large group of players together to spend meaningful time both on and off the field in the coming weeks,” said Barrieau. “It’s an exciting time for women’s rugby in Canada, coming off the energy of the Rugby World Cup in England. We truly felt the country rally around our team and our players, and we’re eager to carry that momentum forward with the sevens program as we prepare for our first two tournaments of the year in Dubai and South Africa.”
Barrieau added: “With several players currently competing in the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) or taking a well-deserved break after a long World Cup campaign, we have an opportunity for emerging talent to gain experience alongside some seasoned sevens players. We will potentially see some new names and faces on the international stage later this month as the SVNS Series begins.”
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team will begin their 2025–26 HSBC SVNS Series campaign on November 29 in Dubai, followed by the Cape Town SVNS in South Africa the following weekend, December 6–7.
For the Canadian men, their first competition of the season will be the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens, hosted in Trinidad and Tobago from November 21–23. Canada enters the tournament as the defending champions, having captured the 2024 title with a dominant 38–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. The team finished that event with a perfect 6–0 record, without conceding a single point.
Canada will need to come out on top again in 2025 as the first step for the team’s journey back to the newly formatted three-tier HSBC SVNS Series.
Esterhuizen, who also serves as Head Coach of the Pacific Pride Development Academy and Canada’s U20 Men’s Rugby Team, will step in as Interim Head Coach of the Canada Men’s Sevens Team while Rugby Canada continues its succession planning process for the program.
“We’re fortunate to have been able to invite a strong group of players into camp. With several of our core players currently involved with the 15s program in Europe, it’s an exciting chance to look at some younger talent, while still leaning on a few experienced players who have been part of the Sevens environment before. The RAN tournament will be a great opportunity for these players to put their hand up and take the first step in our three-year journey toward LA 2028.”
Broadcast information for the 2025-26 HSBC SVNS Series and RAN 7s will be available soon. More information on the HSBC SVNS Series can be found here.