Fancy Bermudez was the latest Canadian to be signed to a contract in the Allianz Premier, the top women’s competition in England. Fancy will play with the Saracens. Announced prior to that was Krissy Scurfield moving to the Loughborough Lightning and Gabby Senft going to Saracens.
Saracens remained top of the table after week 11 although Gloucester in second have a game in hand on the leaders. Standout Canadians were McKinley Hunt for Saracens who scored a hat trick of tries and Claire Gallagher of Leicester who scored a brace and also had her intercept try selected as the Try of the Week.
Canadians Sophie de Goede and McKinley Hunt scored tries in the Saracens win over Trailfinders to remain top of the table in the England Women’s Premiership. The round 10 video highlights, standings, scores and write up are included below.
The Canadian highlight in Round 9 of the England Women’s Premiership was Claire Gallagher’s try in her starting debut for Leicester Tigers. Claire usually plays #10 for Canada but was slotted in at #12 for Leicester. She came into the Leicester side last weekend and had a spot in the reserves. Her try was voted the league Try of the Week. This is the first win for the Leicester side in nine matches.
Saracens remain undefeated in the women’s English Premier competition, there were 3 Canadians in the starting lineup for the Saracens, Sophie de Goede #6, Paige Farries #14 and McKinley Hunt #1.
Paige Farries scored 3 tries with fellow Canadians Sophie de Goede and McKinley Hunt adding a try apiece. SDG also converted 7 of the 11 tries in the Sarries 69-3 win over Sale.
Round 6 of the women’s English Premiership wrapped up to end 2023, Round 7 is slated for this weekend. Saracens remained top of the standings and Sophie de Goede again made the team of the week, this time playing blindside flanker.
You know the future looks bright when a third of the players in the Team of the Week in the top professional league are Canadians. The Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby competition in England is the top professional league for women’s rugby and Canadians are representing well. The Team of the Week for Round 5 included 5 Canadians, Emily Tuttosi (Exeter) at hooker, Daleaka Menin (Exeter) at tighthead prop, Sophie de Goede (Saracens) at #8, Alex Tessier (Exeter) at #10 and Paige Farries (Saracens) on the wing. Saracens and Exeter are top of the table as well.
Abby Duguid #4 and Daleaka Menin #3 were part of the Loughborough team that knocked off former table leaders Harlequins. Loughborough move up to second place with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.
It was the four Canadians for Exeter vs the lone Canadian for Saracens so it was perhaps in the cards that Exeter would end the Saracens winning streak that went back to 2018. Starting for Exeter were loosehead prop Olivia DeMerchant, hooker Emily Tuttosi, 2nd row Mckinley Hunt and #10 Taylor Black. Starting for Sarries was #8 Sophie de Goede.