Coach Kevin Rowett has named his roster for Canada’s upcoming tour of Spain, Canada’s first women’s competition after finishing fourth at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last fall.
March 15, 2023 (Langford, BC) — Coach Kevin Rowett has selected his roster for Team Canada’s upcoming tour of Spain, the Canadians’ first competition after a fourth-place finish at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last fall.
The team will first play a Test match against South Africa on Saturday, March 25th at 5pm local time (8am PST / 11am EST). This is the first match between the Canadian women’s rugby team and South Africa in ten years, and the last meeting dates back to the 2013 Nations Cup.
On Saturday, April 1, Canada will face the United States in the opening game of the 2023 Pacific Four Series at 5pm local time (8am PT / 11am EST). The Canadian team has had seven straight wins against the United States since July 2019. The last time the Maple Leafs faced the Americans was in October 2022 in the Rugby World Cup in pool matches and quarterfinals.
last february, Announcing the World Rugby Team Return of the Pacific Four Series, contested by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. This will be the third edition of this competition and the second in which these four countries will compete. Australia and New Zealand will meet in June in Australia, and all four teams will travel to Canada in July for the final matches of the series. Qualification for the inaugural competition WXV This is a new annual women’s world rugby union competition at three levels (WXV1, WXV2, WXV3). The top three teams from the Pacific Four series will automatically qualify for the WXV1 class and the last team in the series will compete in the WXV2 class of this new competition.
19 players from the World Cup are back on the squad, including Sophie De Guidi and Emily Tutosi, the 2022 Dream Team World Rugby Players of the Year, as well as the second-most capped woman in Canadian rugby history, Tyson Beukeboom (56 selections).
In addition, there are seven new athletes on the roster: Audrey Champagne, Cassandra Tavnail, Fancy Bermudez, Holly Phillips, Justin Platt-Janmat, Mahalia Robinson and Zoe Williams. Blatt-Janmaat, Champagne, Robinson and Williams are some of the many players coming from U SPORTS programmes, while Phillips and Tuffnail play in the UK.
After a strong showing in the HSBC Canada Sevens Rugby Championship, Bermudez could get his first cap with the Canadian rugby union team. She joins the seven other athletes who were also invited on the tour, Pamphinete Buisa and Renee Gonzalez.
“We are delighted to start a new World Cup cycle and open the 2023 season with these two matches against South Africa and the United States,” said technical director Kevin Rowett. The athletes and staff are looking forward to getting together and building on our impressive fall performance in New Zealand. In addition to the 19 players returning from the Rugby World Cup, there are several new faces on our list. These are the athletes who have made an impact on the Canadian women’s rugby team, on the U SPORTS team, or abroad. I look forward to working with this group in Spain and taking our first steps towards qualifying for the WXV competition.”
The two matches will be held at the Estadio Nacional of the Complutense University of Madrid.
For more information about the Pacific Four series, including scores and results, visit the competition website: world.rugby/tournaments/pacific-four-series. Broadcast details will be announced soon.
List of Canadian rugby team players
Alexandra Tessier (Saint-Clautilde-de-Horton, Quebec) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC
Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, Ontario) – Barrhaven Scottish/Saracens
Audrey Champagne (Quebec City, Quebec) – Rugby Club of Quebec / Université Laval
Brittany Cassell (Guelph, Ontario) – Guelph Redcoats RFC
Cassandra Tafnail (Heidelberg, ON) – Fergus Highland RFC / Richmond FC / Brunel University London
Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
Dalia Menen (Vulcan, Alta) – Chiefs of Exeter
Emily Totosi (Sorris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
Emma Taylor (Scottsbourne, NS) – Halifax RFC
Fabiola Fortezza (Quebec City, Quebec) – Rugby Club of Quebec / Stade Bordelais
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AL) – Norwester Athletic Association/Westshore RFC
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AL) – Capilano RFC
Holly Phillips (Canmore, AB) – Calgary Irish / Bristol Bears
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, Ontario) – Guelph Redcoats RFC / Castaway Wanderers
Justin Platt Gunmett (Wolfville, NS) – Westshore RFC/Victoria University
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec) – Quebec Rugby Club / Stade Bordelais
Laetitia Royer (Laureteville, Quebec) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / ASM Romagnat
Mahalia Robinson (Fulford, Quebec) – TMRRFC/Concordia University
Marie-Pierre Photox (Sherbrooke, Quebec) – Rugby Club of Quebec / Université Laval
Maya Montiel (Quebec City, Quebec) – Quebec rugby club
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors
Pamphinet Poisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Ireland
Renee Gonzalez (Scarborough, Ontario) – Westshore RFC/Victoria University
Sabrina Poulin (Saint-Georges, Quebec) – TMRRFC / Eibar Rugby Taldea
Sarah Kalgov (Ajax, Ontario) – Toronto Scottish / Westshore RFC
Sarah Svoboda (Belleville, Ontario) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
Sarah-Maud Lachance (Victoriaville, Quebec) – Rugby Club of Quebec / Louise Louise Department
Sophie De Guidi (Vic, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC
Tyson Peckebaum (Oxbridge, Ont.) – Cowichan RFC
Zoe Williams (Vic, BC) – Westshore RFC/Victoria University
not available
Alisha Corrigan
Brianna Miller
Chloe Daniels
Elisa Naked
Gabi Senft
Karen Paquin
Maddy Grant
McKinley Hunt
Michaela Nelson
Olivia Demerchant
Taylor Perry
Veronica Harrigan
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