Rugby Canada Announces Women’s XVs Pathway: BC Left with Invitation Camps, no Competitions
Rugby Canada announced its pathway process to the women’s XVs team and BC may have been left out in the cold. Ontario/Quebec have a recognized competition with 13 games, 10 indoor, 3 outdoor. Alberta have a 4 game competition, all indoors. The only province where you can play rugby in February/March outdoors, BC, gets 4 camps, no competitions. Three of the camps are on a Sunday and one on a Saturday in conflict with the women’s BC Premier schedule. The level of disrespect is palpable. With so many new faces coming through the Rugby Canada high performance management team, its difficult to know where the decision making on this rests.
In reality the players competing in the England PWR, 25 of them, are the first choice for Rouet. Then there are the players in the French competition. Now that Francois Ratier is the head coach of France, he won’t be focused on providing pathway players for Canada through the French club system. Next in line would be the national 7s players. Those are the pathways to the national XVs team that we’re seeing in practice. The Canada U20 program also provides an opportunity to get on the radar.
There’s a BC v Alberta two game series planned for the spring but even that doesn’t show up currently on the RC pathway plan. Not very good from Rugby Canada from a BC perspective.
Rugby Canada is pleased to confirm the updated pathway process for Canada’s Women’s 15s Team, outlining the selection structure designed to identify and develop top talent from across the country and abroad.
The pathway emphasizes competition-based selection across four provinces—British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec—ensuring athletes are evaluated in high-performance environments that reflect the demands of international rugby.
Players from the Atlantic region, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan will also be considered through an identification and recommendation process, with opportunities to participate in camps or competitions hosted in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.
For Canadian players based in Europe, selection opportunities will be provided through a three-day identification camp in London, England, from February 23–25. Where possible, and in the absence of conflicts with other Rugby Canada or professional programming, players will also be expected to participate in regional competitions.
Rugby Canada acknowledges that U SPORTS and university programs remain a vital part of the player pathway. These competitions and camps provide an opportunity for women’s rugby players in Canada that complements and extends beyond the university system.
“The purpose of these camps and competitions is to create a space for Canadian women to have more high-performance games at home,” said Kevin Rouet, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team. “We feel that these are the best outlets that Rugby Canada and the provincial unions can provide to all women’s rugby players in Canada to pursue rugby at a high level while staying at home.”
Rouet added: “This way our selection expands from camps and competitions from across Canada that will feed directly into our development programs and the women’s national team.”
QUEBEC AND ONTARIO BASED PLAYERS
The Quebec Ontario Rugby Championship (QORC) will serve as a key component of the pathway to Canada’s Women’s 15s Team. The QORC is an interprovincial competition for senior women in Quebec and Ontario, and Rugby Canada is officially recognizing it as a national team pathway. This recognition reflects the continued work of Rugby Ontario and Rugby Quebec in developing the competition since its launch in 2024.
The 2026 QORC schedule is listed below:
Friday, January 30, 2026
Montreal, QC | 4:30 p.m. | East QC vs. West QC
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Quebec City, QC | 12:20 p.m. | East QC vs. East ON
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Kingston, ON | 10:30 a.m. | West ON vs. West QC
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Kingston, ON | 10:30 a.m. | West ON vs. East ON
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Kingston, ON | 3:30 p.m. | East QC vs. West ON
Kingston, ON | 5:30 p.m. | West QC vs. East ON
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Quebec City, QC | 4:00 p.m. | East QC vs. West QC
Kingston, ON | 10:30 a.m. | West ON vs. East ON
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Kingston, ON | 3:30 p.m. | East QC vs. West ON
Kingston, ON | 5:30 p.m. | West QC vs. East ON
Saturday, April 11, 2026
TBD (Outdoor Venue) | TBD | East QC vs. East ON
Sunday, April 12, 2026
TBD (Outdoor Venue) | TBD | West ON vs. West QC
Saturday, May 2, 2026
TBD — Finals Day
ALBERTA BASED PLAYERS
Delivered in partnership with Alberta Rugby, a series of Alberta North vs. Alberta South matches will be used to identify players from the province.
Players have already been selected to represent Alberta North and Alberta South, with matches scheduled as follows:
Friday, February 13, 2026
Red Deer, AB | Red Deer Dome | 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Friday, February 27, 2026
Red Deer, AB | Red Deer Dome |3:00–5:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Edmonton, AB | University of Alberta Foote Field Dome |11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Edmonton, AB | University of Alberta Foote Field Dome | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
BRITISH COLUMBIA BASED PLAYERS
By invitation from Rugby Canada, one-day identification camps will be held on the following dates and locations:
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Victoria, BC | Wallace Field | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Victoria, BC | Wallace Field |10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Victoria, BC | Wallace Field | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Vancouver, BC | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.