2023 Pacific Four Series opener match day roster named for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team

Head Coach Kevin Rouet has named the match day roster for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s first match of the 2023 Pacific Four Series against the USA.

Canada will play the USA on Saturday April 1 at 5:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET) at Estadio Nacional de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. Canada currently holds a seven game winning streak against the USA dating back to July 2019, and last played the Americans in October at the Rugby World Cup in pool play and the quarter finals.

At the end of February, World Rugby announced the return of the Pacific Four Series. Contested by Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, this will be the third edition of the series, and the second to feature all four countries. Australia and New Zealand will meet in June in Australia, with all four teams converging on Canada in July for the final matches of the series. Qualification for the inaugural WXV, a new three-tier annual global women’s international 15s competition, is on the line, with the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series qualifying for the top WXV tier and the bottom team headed for tier 2.

A number of players will reach significant milestones this weekend, with DaLeaka Menin playing in her 45th game for Canada, Brittany Kassil in her 35th, and Fabiola Forteza in her 20th. Finisher Gillian Boag also has the potential to earn her 20th cap.

“I think after today our focus is definitely going to be on finishing,” Sophie de Goede said following Canada’s 66-7 test match win over South Africa last Saturday in Madrid. Ten different players secured points for Canada, and Fancy Bermudez, Cassandra Tuffnail and Mahalia Robinson earned their first international 15s caps. “We created quite a few opportunities, but handling errors and some little connection pieces let us down, so we’ll look to execute on more of the opportunities that we create [against the USA].”

HOW TO FOLLOW

Canada’s match against the USA will be livestreamed by World Rugby at www.world.rugby/tournaments/pacific-four-series

CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs USA

1.  Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Redcoats RFC
2.  Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
3.  DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs
4.  Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC
5.  Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
6.  Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
7.  Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
8.  Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC
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
11.  Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors
12.  Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish / Westshore RFC
13.  Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC
14.  Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Lons Section Paloise
15.  Sabrina Poulin (St-Georges, QC) – TMRRFC / Eibar Rugby Taldea

FINISHERS

16.  Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
17.  Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – University of Ottawa / Saracens
18.  Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens
19.  Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS) – Halifax RFC
20.  Marie-Pier Fauteux (Sherbrooke, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Université Laval
21.  Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
22.  Mahalia Robinson (Fulford, QC) – TMRRFC / Concordia Université
23.  Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers