Canada Women’s XVs – September 2022

Rugby Canada Announce 32 Player Squad for Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand – First Match October 9th vs Japan

Coach Kevin Rouet has named his 32 player roster going to NZ for the World Cup. One of the most notable omissions is Pam Buisa, a player who was making headlines during the UK tour of November 2021 under coach Sandro Fiorino. She came off the disappointing Olympic 7s performance that summer but shone as an impact player in the XVs tour that fall. That earned her a starting flanker role in the June 2022 tour to NZ where she started at both blindside and openside over the three games against USA, Australia and NZ. She had a quiet tournament and in the July home tests against Italy and Wales, coach Rouet went with Fabiola Forteza, Karen Paquin, Courtney Holtkamp, Sara Svoboda, Gabrielle Senft in the flanker roles. He must have liked what he saw as all those players made the cut, Buisa is on the non-travelling reserves.

In his selection comments he did mention the selection process took into account “team players and a good group to be together for 2 months, it was a balance in the decision for sure”.

Kevin Rouet – Rugby World Cup Squad Announcement

from Rugby Canada

Rugby Canada today announced the 32-player Senior Women’s 15s squad that will represent Canada at the Rugby World Cup 2021, being played in 2022, in New Zealand.

Seeded No. 3 for the World Cup, Canada’s Women – whose official team partner is NFP – will compete in Pool B alongside the USA, Italy and Japan. Their first match will be against Japan at the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei on Sunday, October 9 at 3:15 p.m. local time. Click here for the full Pool B schedule.

Head Coach Kevin Rouet’s 32-player squad features a mix of experience and young talent. Captaining the side in New Zealand, Sophie de Goede – daughter of former captains of Canada’s Women’s and Men’s teams, Stephanie White and Hans de Goede – will compete at the first Rugby World Cup of her career.

She will be joined by the likes of Olivia DeMerchant, Brianna Miller, Laura Russell, Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin, Elissa Alarie, Brittany Kassil, DaLeaka Menin and Alexandra Tessier, all of whom have represented Canada in at least one previous Rugby World Cup.

Tied with her sister, Kelly Russell, as the third most-capped Canadian Women of all time, Laura Russell will overtake Maria Gallo at No. 2 on that list with three more appearances. Meanwhile, DeMerchant and Beukeboom are set to break to 50-cap mark with their next selections.

Canada head to the World Cup on the back of consecutive wins in home international test matches – 32-24 over Italy at Starlight Stadium in Langford, BC and 31-3 over Wales at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, NS – which marked the program’s first games in Canada since 2015.

CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021 SQUAD

Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC
Alex Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens
Anais Holly (Montreal, QC) – Town of Mont-Royal RFC
Brianna Miller (Pointe-Claire, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Redcoats
Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
Elissa Alarie (Trois-Rivieres, QC) – Westshore RFC
Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS) – HRFC
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Exeter Chiefs / Regina Rogues Rugby Club
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers
Justine Pelletier (Riviere-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec
Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais
Laura Russell (Bolton, ON) – Cowichan RFC / Toronto Nomads
Maddy Grant (Cornwall, ON) – University of Ottawa
Marie Thibault (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec
McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Exeter Chiefs
Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, BC) – UBC Rugby / Capilano Rugby
Ngalula Fuamba (Notre Dame de-l’ile-Perrot, QC) – T.M.R.R.F.C.
Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Worcester Warriors
Sabrina Poulin (St-Georges, QC) – TMRRFC
Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish
Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de Rugby de Québec/Lons Section Paloise Rugby Feminin
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC
Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC

NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES

Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – University of Ottawa
Cindy Nelles (Belleville, ON) – Belleville Bulldogs / University of Canterbury
Abby Duguid (Edmonton, AB) – University of Lethbridge / Loughborough Lightning
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Lons Section Paloise
Janna Slevinsky (St. Albert, AB) – Calgary Saracens
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
Renee Gonzalez (Toronto, ON) – Westshore RFC
Chloe Daniels (Sutton, ON) – Aurora Barbarians

Posted in National Women's XVs.