32-PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA’S SQUAD FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP IN ENGLAND

Thursday July 24, 2025 (Langford, BC) - Ranked second in the world, Canada’s 32-player squad for the Rugby World Cup 2025, kicking off next month in England, has been named by Head Coach Kevin Rouet.  

“We believe in the group we have selected and we believe in the process we have taken to get to this point, but the work isn’t done yet,” said Rouet. “It all starts next month in England when we enter the next stage of our World Cup journey and officially get on the field in that first match against Fiji.”  

Captain of the team in England will be 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee, Alexandra Tessier. She has earned 59 caps for Canada, scoring six tries and 53 points over her ten-year international career that includes representing Canada at the Rugby World Cup in 2017 and 2021 (played in 2022).  

Twenty-one players return from the 2021 Rugby World Cup team including veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant and Karen Paquin who will all represent Canada at the Rugby World Cup for a fourth time. 

Sophie de Goede, named to the 2022 and 2024 World Rugby Women’s Dream Team, will compete in her second Rugby World Cup. De Goede made her long-awaited return to the Canadian lineup earlier this month in South Africa, her first time back on the field in over a year following a significant knee injury.   

Canada’s leading try-scorer at the last World Cup with six, Emily Tuttosi, will play in her second Rugby World Cup. Tuttosi’s performance earned her a spot on the 2022 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year. 

With Rugby Canada’s “One Squad” philosophy on full display, seven players who won a silver medal with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been selected; Caroline Crossley, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds, Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. 

The 2025 Rugby World Cup will be the first for 11 players including Rachel Smith, Taylor McKnight, Claire Gallagher, Shoshanah Seumanutafa, Laetitia Royer and Maya Montiel.  

"Selecting the World Cup squad forced the coaching staff to make some very difficult decisions,” added Rouet. “Since the last World Cup, our focus has been on building depth in the squad, so we had more than just 32 players who could step on the field and perform at any moment. We achieved our goal but as a result it meant needing to make some very challenging decisions.” 

Prior to the team departing, Canada will compete in its final home match at TD Place in Ottawa on Friday, August 1 vs USA. The match aims to surpass a new attendance record for a women’s rugby match in North America that was previously set at the stadium in 2023. Tickets are on sale HERE, and the roster for this specific game will be announced on Wednesday, July 30. 

At the Rugby World Cup in England, Canada will compete in Pool B alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Their first match will be against Fiji at the York Community Stadium in York on Saturday, August 23 at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET (5:30pm local time). Click here for the full Pool B schedule. 
 
WHERE TO WATCH 
All of Canada’s Rugby World Cup matches will be available live on TSN and TSN+. Earlier this year Rugby Canada and TSN announced a long-term agreement bringing increased coverage in 2025 and beyond for rugby fans in Canada. 
 
2025 RUGBY WORLD CUP SQUAD - CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM  

FORWARDS  
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats  
Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers    
Courtney O'Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby  
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs  
Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) - Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs  
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais  
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens  
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC 
Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) - Club de rugby de Quebec  
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University / Saracens 
Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – Saracens 
McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens  
Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC / Exeter Chiefs  
Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) - Halifax Tars RFC   
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) - Ottawa Irish  
Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia 
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers / Saracens   
Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, ON) - University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians 
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders    
 
BACKS  
Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs  
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) - CRFC / Saracens 
Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) - Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC 
Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders  
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens  
Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) - University of British Columbia  
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders  
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais  
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC  
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Saracens   
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais       
Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau    
Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) - Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs  
 
TEAM STAFF  
Head Coach – Kevin Rouet 
Assistant Coach - Alex Austerberry, Carolyn McEwen, Conor Twomey, David Butcher, Iain Monaghan, Jocelyn Barrieau, Martial Lagain 
Team Manager – Dustin Hopkins 
Strength & Conditioning – Clarence Gay, Travis Dorsey  
Analyst – Stacey Maskelyne, Richard Owen  
Team Doctor – Anthony Dixon, Adam Pyle  
Physiotherapist – Allison Rodway, Amelie Michaud 
Media – Braedan Willis, Jordan Jones 
 
MISSION: WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP  
In March 2025, Rugby Canada officially launched the Mission: Win Rugby World Cup (MWRWC) 2025 fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1,000,000. Despite rising to the second world ranking, the Canadian women’s rugby team operates on a fractional budget compared to its closest competitors. This $1 million gap was identified to best equip the team with extra resources to help them make history. 
 
The mission is now within reach: over 75% of the fundraising goal has been pledged through generous individual donations and crowdfunding. Rugby Canada extends its deep appreciation to all MWRWC supporters in embarking on a final push of this campaign for the team’s Rugby World Cup journey. For more information or to donate, visit rugby.ca/donate.