Canada Rely on Forward Power and 2 Tries in Last 10 Minutes for Win Over USA
It was a familiar story for the women’s XVs, rely on the forwards to come through in the crunch. Canada and USA were tied at 14-14 in the second half with sloppy backline play by Canada contributing to both USA tries. The forwards came through at the 71′ mark with a maul try to go ahead and the backline finally clicked at the 77′ mark to put the game out of reach.
Scrum half Justine Pelletier scored 9 minutes into the match with a pickup from a ruck about 22 metres out, the USA defenders gave her some space near the ruck which she took and ran the ball over the line, 7-0. #8 Gabrielle Senft almost scored another at the 15 minute mark but lost control before touching it down. At 24 minutes Karen Paquin scored a try on an inside pass but the TMO injected himself into the match and called a knock on several phases earlier, the ref stated on the microphone that it didn’t look like a knock on but deferred to the TMO call. Canada went ahead 14-0 on a strong run by Gabrielle Senft from the base of the scrum, she was stopped short of the line but #5 Laetitia Royer picked the ball up from the ruck and drove over the line, 14-0 at 34 minutes.
The USA got one back at 38 minutes when the Canadian backline messed up an attacking situation out wide, with an overlap on attack the ball carrier ran back into contact, got the ball stripped and the USA took advantage of the turnover to score under the posts, 14-7. The TMO again got involved and picked up Courtney Holtkamp (O’Donnell) going into a tackle situation too high, she received a yellow card at 51 minutes. At 64 minutes the Canadian backline gifted the USA a try when #12 Taylor Perry floated a pass and Alev Kelter read it all the way for an 80 metre try against the flow of play, 14-14.
The forwards came through at the 71′ mark with a lineout and maul with Courtney O’Donnell (Holtkamp) touching it down. Julia Schell then stepped up on a difficult conversion, 21-14. At 77′ minutes with the USA down a player, the backline were finally able to put together a combination and Julia Schell used some pace to go wide and dished the ball off to replacement wing Sarah-Maude Lachance who scored the try, 26-14.
As usual for the women’s XVs team, the Canadian forwards came through when it mattered. The backline needs a lot of work, their errors were responsible for both USA tries, the accuracy and confidence in the backline needs to come together quickly. Some of the 7s players are travelling to meet up with the team after this weekend so that may make a difference.
Canada now travels to New Zealand to play the Black Ferns in Christchurch on May 16th.
Canada Name Team to Face USA in Kansas City on Friday May 2nd
Canada kick off their Pacific Four tournament on Friday against USA. USA are just coming off a loss to Japan last weekend, Japan are coached by Canadian Lesley McKenzie from Fort Nelson, BC.
Coach Kevin Rouet has gone with a 6-2 bench indicating the forwards will play a key part in the match strategy. The 6 forward subs include a complete tight five replacement and one loose forward, although Courtney O’Donnell (Courtney Holtkamp) who usually plays second row could be used at blindside flanker. Karen Paquin, who turns 38 this summer, is selected as starting openside flanker, with Julia Omokhuale as cover.
The two backline subs don’t include a dedicated scrum half, which may prove interesting in the latter part of the match. Alex Tessier gets the nod as starting flyhalf, with Claire Gallagher in the reserves. There’s no Sophie de Goede yet but Krissy Scurfield is back from an injury picked up in training before the Vancouver 7s and starts on the wing. Another standout 7s player is on the other wing, Fancy Bermudez, with Taylor Perry and Shoshanah Seumanutafa in the centres.
The match kicks off at 5:30pm PT on Friday, TSN is showing it in Canada, and World Rugby rugbypass.tv is streaming it worldwide. The match takes place at CPKC stadium in Kansas City and an interesting piece of Canadian trivia is that the CPKC stands for Canadian Pacific Kansas City and is the holding company for CP Rail which is headquartered in Calgary.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM PACIFIC FOUR SERIES MATCH DAY ROSTER vs USA
1. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats
2. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC / Gloucester-Hartpury
3. Rori Wood (Sooke, BC) – College Rifles RFC / Ealing Trailfinders
4. Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia
5. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat
6. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
7. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec
8. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
10. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs
11. Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB) – University of Victoria / Loughborough Lightning
12. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs
13. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau / Chiefs Manawa
14. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders
FINISHERS
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
17. Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC / Exeter Chiefs
18. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
19. Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
20. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders
21. Julia Omokhuale (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Irish Rugby Club / Leicester Tigers
22. Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
23. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Leicester Tigers
from Rugby Canada
Head Coach Kevin Rouet has selected his 23-player roster to play against the USA at CPKC Stadium on Friday May 2 at 5:30 pm PT/8:30 pm ET.
With Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s 2025 Pacific Four Series campaign slated to begin, Head Coach Kevin Rouet has selected his 23-player roster to play against the USA at CPKC Stadium on Friday May 2 at 5:30 pm PT/8:30 pm ET.
Canada has won nine straight matches against their rivals from the United States, including a dominant 50-7 victory to begin last year’s Pacific Four Series.
“The game against USA to begin PAC4 is an opportunity for us to continue to build consistency, confidence and depth as we start our journey towards the world cup later this year,” said Rouet. “It was great to see our One Squad philosophy come to life these past two weeks in Chula Vista. The collaboration between all the players and staff will give both of our women’s teams the best chance to succeed in the major competitions this year and into the future but I am excited for the players to get back on the field for the first time this year for what always proves to be an intense game against the USA.”
Canada enters the tournament as the defending champions after going undefeated in 2024. This historic result included Canada’s first-ever win over New Zealand, the reigning Rugby World Cup champions, to clinch the title in Christchurch.
Starting at lock, South Surrey’s Rachel Smith is in line to earn her first cap for Canada. Smith is a three-time Canada West All-Star and was named the 2024 U SPORTS Rugby 15s Player of the Year after helping her UBC Thunderbirds squad to the program’s first U SPORTS National Championship.
Rori Wood, who earned her first cap for Canada against Ireland last fall during the 2024 WXV 1 tournament is set to start for the first time in her international career. Veteran flanker Karen Paquin will start a match for Canada for the first time since the 2021 Rugby World Cup while prop Mikiela Nelson could earn her first cap since the last World Cup.
After breaking onto the international rugby scene with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, Krissy Scurfield is in line for her fourth cap and her first appearance in a Canadian jersey since the Olympics in Paris last year.
Following the game against the USA, the team will then travel to New Zealand to play the Black Ferns at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch on May 16 at 8:35pm PT / 11:35pm ET (May 17 at 3:35pm local time). Canada will close out the Pacific Four Series against Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on May 22 at 11:55pm PT / May 23 at 2:55am ET (4:55pm local time).
Following the HSBC SVNS World Championship this weekend in Los Angeles, Alysha Corrigan, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Florence Symonds, Mahalia Robinson and Olivia Apps will join Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team for the remaining matches of the Pacific Four Series in New Zealand and Australia. Canada’s women’s teams held a combined training camp in Chula Vista, California from April 22-28 in preparation for the Pacific Four Series and the HSBC SVNS finale.
More information on the Pacific Four Series, including the full schedule and results, can be found on the official website for World Rugby HERE.
WHERE TO WATCH
Canada vs USA will be available live on TSN2 and TSN+ on Friday May 2 at 5:30 pm PT/8:30 pm ET. Earlier this year Rugby Canada and TSN announced a long-term agreement bringing increased coverage in 2025 and beyond for rugby fans in Canada.