Canada Women's team set to face off against England
Bernadette Larose
Rugby 15s Senior Women
DONCASTER, ENGLAND (November 16, 2018) – Canada Women’s head coach Sandro Fiorino has named his starting roster ahead of Sunday’s match against England, kicking off their four-game Autumn tour.
The first test match of the year for the women, the roster includes 11 Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) experienced players along with up-and-coming athletes, rounding out the practiced line-up. Leading the team will be veteran hooker Laura Russell as captain and full-back Elissa Alarie as vice-captain.
“We’ve had a good couple days on the ground in England getting ready for Sunday. There’s a lot of depth in this line up and we’ve been working really well together these past couple days. England is ranked second in the world and we’re expecting a tough match, and it’s important for us to come out with a good, strong performance to build momentum for the rest of the tour,” said Fiorino.
“This is a great test for the team. Everyone’s really excited to get on the pitch and we’ve got a good mix of experience and leadership, along with some eager young talent.”
Forwards Olivia DeMerchant and Tyson Beaukeboom are set to earn their 33rd caps, alongside captain Russell who secures her 44th.
A developing squad, seven athletes will be earning their first cap in Sunday’s match, a reflection of the team’s commitment to developing athletes ahead of the 2021 WRWC in New Zealand.
The ladies look to improve upon their performance from last year, in which they were defeated in all three of their matches against England in November.
England is coming off a win in last weeks Quilter Internationals, smashing USA 57-5. Canada hopes to use their speed and agility to match up against the Six Nations powerhouse.
“We have to attack early and use our strengths, use our athleticism, to score early on and hopefully put them on their heels a bit,” added Fiorino.
With four games played in 10 days in four different cities on the Autumn tour, the team will be put through their paces as they take on some of the UK’s best.
“England is a dominate rugby country and I think this will be the start of a very competitive tour for us. But we’ve got an athletic squad that knows how to win and we’ve just got to keep pressing them for the full 80 minutes,” added Fiorino.
Kick-off is at 9am ET/6am PT and can be streamed LIVE on England Rugby’s Facebook page.
Canada’s roster to face England:
1. Olivia DeMerchant – (Fredericton Loyalists) Mapledale, NB
2. Laura Russell – Captain (Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON
3. DaLeaka Menin – (Calgary Hornets) Vulcan, AB
4. Tyson Beukeboom – (Cowichan Piggies) Uxbridge, ON
5. Courtney Holtkamp – (Red Deer Titans) Rimbey, AB
6. Gabrielle Senft – (Castaway Wanderers) Regina, SK
7. Janna Slevinsky – (Kingston Panthers) St. Albert, AB
8. Cindy Nelles – (Belleville Bulldogs) Belleville, ON
9. Brianna Miller – (Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue) Point-Claire, QC
10. Anaïs Holly – (TMR RFC) Montreal, QC
11. Sabrina Poulin – (TMR RFC) Saint-Georges-de-Beauce
12. Alex Tessier – (SABRFC) Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC
13. Marie Thibault – (CRQ) Quebec City, QC
14. Magali Harvey – (CRQ) Quebec City, QC
15. Elissa Alarie – Vice Captain (Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue RFC/Westshore RFC) Trois Rivieres, QC
16. Mackenzie Carson – (Bristol Bears) Abbotsford, BC
17. Veronica Harrigan – (London St. George’s) Lucan, ON
18. Maude Laliberté – (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
19. Ngalula Fuamba – (TMRRFC) Notre-Dame-de-L'Île-Perrot
20. Sara Svoboda – (Belleville Bulldogs/Toronto Saracens) Belleville, ON
21. Lori Josephson – (Guelph Redcoats) Beaverton, ON
22. Taylor Black – (Oakville Crusaders) Oakville, ON
23. Irene Patrinos – (Toronto Saracens) Mississauga, ON
Canada’s November Tour Schedule:
Sunday 18th November
England vs Canada
Castle Park, Doncaster
K.O. 2pm local time (9am ET/6am PT)
Watch LIVE on England Rugby’s Facebook page
Wednesday 21st November
England “A” v Canada “A”
Cobham RFC, Cobham
K.O. 7:30pm local time (2:30pm ET/11:30am PT)
*Not an official test match*
No live stream, follow @RugbyCanada on Twitter for updates
Saturday 24th November
Wales vs Canada
Cardiff Arms Park
K.O. 11:30am local time (6:30am ET/3:30am PT)
Broadcast details TBC
Tuesday 27th November
Scotland v Canada
Scotstoun Stadium - Glasgow
K.O. 7pm local time (2pm ET/11am PT)
Watch LIVE: www.bbc.co.uk/alba.
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