Kevin Rouet names Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team roster for Spain Tour and Pacific Four Series opener

March 15, 2023 (Langford, BC) – Head Coach Kevin Rouet has named the roster for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s upcoming tour to Spain, the team’s first competition following Canada’s fourth place performance at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand last fall. 

The team will first play a test match against South Africa on Saturday March 25 at 4:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET). This will be the first time Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team has played South Africa in 10 years, having last met at the 2013 Nations Cup.  

On Saturday April 1, Canada will face the USA in the first match of the 2023 Pacific Four Series at 5:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. PT / 11:00 a.m. ET). 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.  

Nineteen players on the roster return from Canada’s Rugby World Cup squad, including World Rugby 2022 Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year players Sophie de Goede and Emily Tuttosi and second most capped player in Canadian women's rugby history Tyson Beukeboom (56). 

There are seven possible debutants on the roster: Audrey Champagne, Cassandra Tuffnail, Fancy Bermudez, Holly Phillips, Justine Blatt-Janmaat, Mahalia Robinson and Zoe Williams. Blatt-Janmaat, Champagne, Robinson and Williams are four of several U Sports players selected for the tour, while Phillips and Tuffnail play in the UK. 

Bermudez, who has earned her first selection to Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team following a strong performance at HSBC Canada Sevens, is joining the roster from Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team along with Pamphinette Buisa and Renee Gonzalez. 

"We are excited to be starting a new Rugby World Cup cycle and opening the 2023 season with these games against South Africa and the United States,” said Head Coach Kevin Rouet. “Our players and staff are eager to regroup and build upon our great performance from the fall in New Zealand. Along with the 19 players returning from our 2021 Rugby World Cup roster are some newer faces who have made an impact on Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, in U Sports play, and with teams overseas. I am greatly looking forward to working with this group in Spain and taking our first steps towards qualification for WXV.” 

Both matches will be played at Estadio Nacional de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 

More information on the Pacific Four Series, includes scores and results, can be found on the official website at world.rugby/tournaments/pacific-four-series. Broadcast details for the Pacific Four Series will be announced shortly. 

CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM ROSTER 
Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC  
Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens  
Audrey Champagne (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Université Laval 
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Redcoats RFC 
Cassandra Tuffnail (Heidelberg, ON) - Fergus Highland RFC / Richmond FC / Brunel University London 
Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby 
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs  
Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs  
Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS) – Halifax RFC 
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais 
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC 
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC  
Holly Phillips (Canmore, AB) - Calgary Irish / Bristol Bears 
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers  
Justine Blatt-Janmaat (Wolfville, NS) - Westshore RFC / University of Victoria 
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais 
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat 
Mahalia Robinson (Fulford, QC) – TMRRFC / Concordia Université 
Marie-Pier Fauteux (Sherbrooke, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Université Laval 
Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – University of Ottawa / Saracens 
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors  
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish 
Renee Gonzalez (Scarborough, ON) – Westshore RFC / University of Victoria 
Sabrina Poulin (St-Georges, QC) – TMRRFC / Eibar Rugby Taldea 
Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish / Westshore RFC 
Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning 
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Lons Section Paloise 
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC 
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC 
Zoe Williams (Victoria, BC) – Westshore RFC / University of Victoria  

UNAVAILABLE FOR SELECTION 
Alysha Corrigan 
Brianna Miller 
Chloe Daniels 
Elissa Alarie 
Gabi Senft 
Karen Paquin 
Maddy Grant 
McKinley Hunt 
Mikiela Nelson  
Olivia DeMerchant 
Taylor Perry 
Veronica Harrigan