Canada U21 Women Defeat England U21: Finish Tour with 3-0 Record
Canada U21 women have finished their tour in style with a 59-21 win over England. They defeated Ireland 48-24 and the British Army 58-10. A composite 165-55 scoreline, not bad for a team of Canadian university students playing teams (Ireland, England) preparing for the U21 Six Nations in April.
Scorers for Canada in the England match were:
Scorers: Kiki Idowu (3T), Adia Pye (2T), Ivy Poetker (1T), Brooke Rempel (1T), Sandrine Faucher (1T), Camille Arvin-Bérod (1T), Adelaide Holmes (1T), Sydney Woodcock (1T), Olivia Newsome (2C)
There’s not a lot written about the Canada v England match because it was a “behind-closed-doors” match at the England camp (see England rugby article below). England rugby won’t be too pleased to share the result so there’s not much from them besides the camp announcement. Rugby Canada have given the scorers but not a match report.
I think we have to delve into the tour results to glean some information about rugby development in Canada. If you look through the Canada U21 roster of 30 players (posted below) 100% of them are associated with a university. They just went to England, into the England camp, where they are preparing for the U21 Six Nations in a few weeks and dominated. England are ranked #1 in the world, and if you look at their roster (posted below) you’ll see 97% of their players are associated with a professional PWR team. What conclusion can you draw from that? I would say the Canadian university development system is working very well for women’s rugby, you could say it’s world class.
The next question is why it’s not the same for men, two major reasons, men’s rugby isn’t sanctioned by USports and football. Rugby competes with football for those top male athletes that excel in a field “contact” sport, and football is sanctioned by USports. There’s no similar competition for top female athletes that excel in a field “contact” sport.
The fact that the women’s university development is working so well seems to indicate there’s not much effort being put in to identify U21 athletes outside of university, so there’s room for improvement in that regard. On the men’s side they have to think outside of the box, the Canadian Rugby Foundation funded a men’s championship, it’s not quite the same as being USports sanctioned but it’s an attempt in the right direction. It doesn’t address the “football” issue, how to get some of those athletes into rugby, how to work with football to identify athletes who may have a better future in rugby, or could be crossover athletes.
Back to the U21 women, this article is about their amazing performance on tour, and how the university development system is working very well in Canadian women’s rugby.
Commencing today, the three-day training block in Berkshire sees Lewis’ side host Canada U21 Women for a behind-closed-doors, opposed training session in preparation for the upcoming Six Nations Women’s U21 Series this spring.
Loughborough Lightning prop Amelia Williams is recalled for her first camp this year, whilst former England U18 internationals Kaya Acton and Isla Pomroy are named in their first U21 Women’s camp.
Lewis and McKenna will be supported by James Cooper, Oli Perry and Benny Williams following the U18 Women’s 29-26 win against Ireland last weekend.
Ahead of the Six Nations, England U21 Women face Spain senior women’s side at Estadio El Pantano, Villajoyosa on Saturday 4th April (15:00 BST). The fixture will be available to stream on FER Rugby’s YouTube channel.
LJ Lewis said: “This group has shown real courage and leadership in how they’ve prepared towards the Six Nations, the intensity and mindset within the squad have set the standard for what it means to represent the Rose.
“Facing Canada provides a valuable opportunity to test our connections and continue that sense of bonding, and we’re pleased to add Amelia [Williams], who has worked tirelessly through injury, alongside Kaya [Acton] experiencing her first camp.
“There’s a genuine pride running through this group, and we’re excited to see them take that energy onto the field as we begin our competitive season.”
Tickets to England’s Six Nations Women’s U21 Series home fixtures against Ireland and France are available now.
Forwards
Kaya Acton (Loughborough Lightning, Hull Ionians RFC, uncapped)
Jasmine Adonri (Trailfinders Women, Dartford Valley Rugby Club, 3 caps)
Tamsin Baynes (Loughborough Lightning, Market Harborough RFC, uncapped)
Zoë Dare (Exeter Chiefs, Cullompton RFC, uncapped)
Zara Green (Harlequins, Lewes RFC, 2 caps)
Haidee Head (Trailfinders Women, Easts Tigers Rugby Union, uncapped)
Aisha Jah (Bristol Bears, Mansfield, uncapped)
Hayley Jones (Trailfinders Women, Ealing Trailfinders, uncapped)
Grace Keel (Harlequins, North Bristol, uncapped)
Honey Kerslake (Nolli Waterman PDG, Exeter College, 4 caps)
Sophie McQueen (Gloucester-Hartpury, Chippenham RFC, 3 caps)
Isla Pomroy (Trailfinders, Banbury RUFC, uncapped)
Lucy Simpson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Rams RFC, 3 caps)
Amelia Williams (Loughborough Lightning, Medway RFC, 10 caps)
Ellie Wilson (Gloucester-Hartpury, Gosford All Blacks, uncapped)
Ruby Winstanley (Harlequins, Guildfordians RFC, uncapped)
Backs
Ashton Adcock (Loughborough Lightning, Tamworth, 1 cap)
Lauren Bailey (Bristol Bears, Dings Crusaders, uncapped)
Alice Bennett (Loughborough University, Peterborough RUFC, uncapped)
Molly Bunker (Gloucester-Hartpury, Havant RFC, 2 caps)
Ella Cromack (Harlequins, Reading RFC, 7 caps)
Natalee Evans (Bristol Bears, Shrewsbury RFC, uncapped)
Millie Hyett (Gloucester-Hartpury, Evesham RFC, 8 caps)
Poppy Love (Trailfinders Women, Grasshoppers RFC, 2 caps)
Amelia MacDougall (Saracens, Old Albanian RFC, 7 caps)
Carmela Morrall (Loughborough Lightning, Dubai Hurricanes, 7 caps)
Solana Shaw de Leon (Harlequins, Sutton and Epsom, uncapped)
Jo Vosakiwaiwai (Harlequins, Andover RFC, uncapped)
Francesca Welsher (Exeter University, Winscombe, uncapped)
Grace White (Trailfinders Women, Winscombe RFC, 1 cap)
England U21 Women’s 2026 Six Nations Series fixtures
Round 1 – Scotland vs. England – Saturday 18th April, 11:00 BST kick-off – Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Round 2 – England vs. Ireland – Saturday 2nd May, 15:00 BST kick-off – Butts Park Arena, Coventry
Round 3 – England vs. France – Sunday 10th May, 15:00 BST kick-off – Goldington Road, Bedford
Canada U21 Women Defeat British Army 58-10: Video Highlights
Canada went 2-0 on their UK/Ireland tour, defeating the British Army 58-10. They wrap up the tour against the England U21 team on Wednesday.
Scorers: Olivia Newsome (1T, 4C), Adia Pye (2T), Sophie McDonald (2T), Adelaide Holmes (2T), Faith Tilley (1T), ShonDreya Smardon (1T), Camille Arvin-Berod (1T)
Next for Canada’s U21 Women’s Rugby Team
Match vs England on March 25
Video Highlights
Roster
Canada Win First Tour Match Against Ireland 48-24
There wasn’t much information on Canada U21 women’s win over Ireland on Sunday, there was nothing from Irish Rugby and just a little bit from Rugby Canada. We know the 25 players who suited up but there wasn’t a starting roster announced. The following were the Canadian scorers.
Scorers: Camille Arvin-Bérod (2T), Olivia Newsome (2T, 1C), Sara Tehrani (1T), Adelaide Holmes (2T), Nayka Goudreau (1T), Tatum Lougheed (3C)
There have been some changes to the original 30 players announced as UBC’s Sara Tehrani wasn’t on the original list but scored a try today.
Next match for Canada’s U21 women’s team is in London to face the British Army on March 20.
Head Coach Dean Murten Names Women’s U21 Team for March Tour of Ireland and England
Dean Murten has made his selections for the women’s Canada U21 team to travel to Ireland and England in March for games against Ireland, the British Army and England. Last year Canada sent a U20 team to Ireland and split the games, winning the first and losing the second. Ireland added some older players for the 2nd match. Since the age has been increased a year, there are a number of players returning, 11 according to Gemini when we asked them to compare lists. Two of the players from the 2025 U20 tour went on to represent Canada in 7s, Adia Pye and Kennedi Stevenson.
Returning players from 2025 U20 tour to Ireland
| Name | Province | University / Club |
| Adelaide Holmes | ON | University of Guelph / Guelph RFC |
| Adia Pye | BC | University of British Columbia |
| Anya Prokopich | BC | University of British Columbia |
| Brooke Rempel | ON | Brock University / Brantford Harlequins |
| Kiki Idowu | ON | University of British Columbia / Toronto Scottish |
| Lana Dueck | BC | University of British Columbia / ARFC |
| Mya Koleba | BC | University of British Columbia / TORA |
| Nayka Goudreau | QC | Université Laval / Club de Rugby de Québec |
| Sandrine Faucher | QC | Université Laval / Club de Rugby de Québec |
| Sierra Hasse | QC | Carleton University / SABRFC |
| Brooke Roddham | BC | University of British Columbia |
CANADA’S U21 WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM IRELAND/ENGLAND 2026 TOUR SQUAD
Adelaide Holmes (Waterloo, ON) – University of Guelph / Guelph RFC
Adia Pye (Victoria, BC) – University of British Columbia
Anya Prokopich (Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia
Brooke Roddham (Langley BC) – University of British Columbia
Brooke Rempel (Ariss, ON) – Brock University / Brantford Harlequins
Brynn Jenkins (Peterborough, ON) – Queen’s University / Peterborough Pagans
Camille Arvin-Bérod (Saint-Denis-Sur-Richelieu, QC) – Université Laval / Montreal Irish
Drew Spencer (Picton, ON) – Queen’s University / Belleville Bulldogs
Faith Tilley (Halifax, NS) – University of Victoria / Halifax Tars / Castaway Wanderers
Ivy Poetker (Calgary, AB) – University of Victoria / Calgary Rams / Westshore RFC
Jesse Knaggs (Victoria, BC) – University of British Columbia / Castaway Wanderers
Kaitlin Tetteh-Wayoe (Edmonton, AB) – University of Alberta Pandas
Kyleigh Chandran (Mississauga,ON) – Burlington Centaurs / Queen’s University
Kiki Idowu (Toronto, ON) – University of British Columbia / Toronto Scottish
Lana Dueck (Abbotsford, BC) – University of British Columbia / ARFC
Madison Minnis (Barrie, ON) – University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians
Maia Swemmer (Uxbridge, ON) – Queen’s University / Aurora Barbarians
Mya Koleba (Vernon, BC) – University of British Columbia / TORA
Nayka Goudreau (Saint-Prosper-de-Dorchester, QC) – Université Laval / Club de Rugby de Québec
Olivia Newsome (Calgary, AB) – University of Victoria
Olivia Dibua (Caledon, ON) – Queen’s University / Aurora Barbarians
Penelope Anderson (Sackville, NB) – TMRRFC / Concordia University
Sandrine Faucher (Québec City, QC) – Université Laval / Club de Rugby de Québec
ShonDreya Smardon (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish RFC / University of Victoria
Sierra Hasse (Sainte-Lazare, QC) – Carleton University / SABRFC
Sophie McDonald (Ottawa, ON) – University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club
Steph Douglas (Toronto, ON) – Queen’s University / Aurora Barbarians
Sydney, Woodcock (Trenton, ON) – Belleville Bulldogs / Queen’s University
Tatum Lougheed (Calgary, AB) Queen’s University / Canucks Rugby Club
Tia Jordo (Kelowna, BC) – University of British Columbia
STAFF
Dean Murten (Head Coach)
Dan Valley (Attack Coach)
François Vachon-Marceau (Forwards Coach)
Clarence Gay (Lead S&C Coach)
Jessica Algie (Lead Therapist)
Emily Hickson (Therapist)
Stacey Maskelyne (Analyst)
Jordan McLeod (S&C support/Manager)
Thirty players have been selected to represent Canada’s U21 Women’s Rugby Team this spring in Ireland and England.
Canada will play Ireland on March 15 in Dublin, then travel to London to face the British Army on March 20, before finishing the tour with a match against England on March 25.
“The selection process for this year’s U21 women’s team included four regional camps held in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and the Atlantic, as well as players’ performance in provincial U19 competition, regional games and U SPORTS,” said Dean Murten, Head Coach of Canada’s U21 Women’s Rugby Team. “This is an exciting group of up-and-coming players that our experienced coaching staff is looking forward to working with in Ireland and England.”
All players selected have U SPORTS experience, with 26 having competed in the 2025 U SPORTS Women’s National Rugby Championship this past fall, including 11 who played in the gold medal match between the UBC Thunderbirds and the University of Victoria Vikes.
“These tours and the program overall are a very important part of the pathway to our women’s national team,” said Kevin Rouet, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team. “It provides great opportunities for the next generation of women’s rugby players in Canada to gain value experience at the international level to test themselves against some of the best up-and-coming talent from around the world.”
Rugby Canada would like to thank Raymond James, the Canadian Rugby Foundation, For the Love of the Game, Langara Fishing Lodge, Blenheim Foundation, GeoPacific Engineering and Anthem Properties for their support of Canada’s U21 Women’s Rugby Team.
Information on how to support and follow the team will be announced in the coming weeks.