Canada announce tour & sevens squads

Canada have announced the names of twenty-five sevens players who will make up their centralized for the 2016-17 HSBC Women’s Sevens Season. The squad features a mix of experience and youth that will be led once again by John Tait.

“With the start of the new Olympic cycle already underway, it’s hugely important to us to get what we currently believe is the core of the team that will be in Tokyo 2020, working together as a group,” Tait said. “The program has evolved greatly over the last five years and it is gratifying to see the athletes we identified for the Youth Olympics, Youth Commonwealth Games and FISU 7s teams coming through and providing us with some quality depth within this new centralized group.”

Fifteen players have previous experience on the HSBC Women’s Sevens Series in Britt Benn, Caroline Crossley, Hannah Darling, Bianca Farella, Julia Greenshields, Emmanuela Jada, Sara Kaljuvee, Jen Kish, Ghislaine Landry, Megan Lukan, Kayla Moleschi, Breanne Nicholas, Ashley Steacy, Natasha Watcham-Roy and Charity Williams.

The rest of the squad features a number of Canada’s next generation in Olivia Apps, Pamphinette Buisa, Emma Chown, Sophie de Goede, Ashley Gordon, Kaili Lukan, Irene Patrinos, Denise Roy, Erika Scott and Tia Svoboda.

“We are a much more skilled and physically talented group than where we started the last quad and it is absolutely necessary to keep the top development players training and accessing the support of our centralized program,” Tait said.

“The returning players will enhance the skill sets and game understanding of our development players by training alongside them and my expectation is that those development athletes will in turn push those senior players for selection in the years ahead.”

The bronze medal the team return with from Rio has been a massive boost to the game in Canada, attracting widespread publicity and increasing the profile of the team as they start the long road to the next Olympics.

“It's very exciting to be looking ahead to Tokyo 2020 and the start of the next quad,” said Meaghan Howat, Rugby Canada’s Director of Rugby Sevens Operations. “We are delighted to have so many returning players from last season and looking forward to working with the new athletes joining the program and how they will develop over the coming years.

“It’s also important to thank our funding partners Sport Canada, Own the Podium and B2Ten for all of their continued support of our program. Additionally, the City of Langford and PISE continue to be critical supporters of our program and we’re extremely grateful for their support.”

Meanwhile Canada’s fifteens coach Francois Ratier has called up another 27 players for the tour to the UK and Ireland as part of Canada’s tilt at next year’s fifteens World Cup in Ireland. None of Tate’s sevens players are included in the party.

The squad features 22 returnees from July’s Women’s Rugby Super Series (WRSS) as Canada get set to face Ireland, New Zealand and England.

“We want to work on the continuity on and off the field,” Ratier said. “We also know the opposition will be strong and that's why we are excited to meet the challenge. We want to try new player combinations and spend time working together.”

Emily Belchos, Tyson Beukeboom, Latoya Blackwood, Andrea Burk, Olivia DeMerchant, Julia Folk, Fabiola Forteza, Jacey Grusnick, Chelsea Guthrie, Anais Holly, Jane Kirby, Kayla Mack, Carolyn McEwen, DaLeaka Menin, Barbara Mervin, Brianna Miller, Frédérique Rajotte, Laura Russell, Demi Stamatakis, Alex Tessier, Brittany Waters and Julianne Zussman all return after helping Canada claim the 2016 WRSS with a perfect 3-0 record.

Mackenzie Higgs is also called into the squad while Elissa Alarie, Magali Harvey, Karen Paquin and Kelly Russell return from Canada’s sevens program.

“We are excited to be back on tour again with only nine months to go until the World Cup in Ireland,” said Meaghan Howat. “There are many veterans to lead this squad and a ton of young talent that has demonstrated their ability to play internationally.  It is especially great to see standouts from the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup team in Kelly Russell, Karen Paquin, Magali Harvey and Elissa Alarie return to the team.”

Canada heads overseas as the No. 2 ranked team in the world after climbing four spots during the WRSS after convincing wins over England, USA and France. Canada scored 114 points in its three games while conceding only 32.

The tour will offer a stern test for Canada who are wedged between New Zealand and England in the world rankings with Ireland currently ranked sixth.

“Ireland host the World Cup in August, New Zealand is No. 1 in the world and England just turned fully professional and are World Cup champs,” Ratier said. “We will know what our level will be nine months before the World Cup.”

Streaming details and kickoff times for all three games are still to be confirmed.

Canada Squad for UK Tour(Name, club, hometown): Elissa Alarie(Westshore) Trois-Rivieres, QC;Emily Belchos(Westshore) Barrie, ON;Tyson Beukeboom(Aurora Barbarians) Uxbridge, ON;Latoya Blackwood(Westshore) Montreal, QC;Andrea Burk(Capilano RFC) North Vancouver, BC;Olivia DeMerchant(Woodstock Wildmen) Mapledale, NB;Julia Folk(UVic/Castaway Wanderers), Regina, SK;Fabiola Forteza(Club de Rugby de Quebec) Quebec, QC;Jacey Grusnick(Aurora Barbarians) Alliston, ON;Chelsea Guthrie(Stratchona Druids) Edmonton, AB;Magali Harvey(Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC ; Mackenzie Higgs (Aurora Barbarians) Aurora, ON;Anais Holly(TMRRFC) Montreal, QC;Jane Kirby(Highland RFC) Brampton, ON;Kayla Mack(Wild Oats) Saskatoon, SK;Carolyn McEwen(Burnaby Lake Rugby Club), Vancouver, BC;DaLeaka Menin(Calgary Hornets) Vulcan, AB;Barbara Mervin(Westshore) Peterborough, ON;Brianna Miller(SABRFC), Pointe-Claire, QC;Karen Paquin(Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC;Frédérique Rajotte(Sainte Anne de Bellevue RFC) Sainte Anne de Bellevue, QC;Laura Russell(Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON;Kelly Russell(Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON; Demi Stamatakis (SFU) Vancouver, BC;Alex Tessier(Montreal Barbarians) Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC;Brittany Waters(Castaway Wanderers) Vancouver, BC;Julianne Zussman(Castaway Wanderers) Montreal, QC

Unavailable due to injury: Daria Keane(Guelph Redcoats) Sarnia, ON;Mandy Marchak(Capilano) Winnipeg, MB;Cindy Nelles(Oakville Crusaders / Belleville Bulldogs) Belleville, ON;Kristy Sargent(Lep Tigers) Edmonton, AB;Amanda Thornborough(Westshore) Brandon, MB

Sevens Centralized Roster:Olivia Apps, Aurora Barbarians (Lindsay, ON) ;Brittany Benn, Guelph Redcoats (Napanee, ON) ;Pamphinette Buisa, Ottawa Irish (Gatineau, QC) ;Emma Chown, Kingston Panthers (Barrie, ON) ;Caroline Crossley, Castaway Wanderers (Victoria, BC) ;Hannah Darling, Peterborough Pagans (Warsaw, ON) ;Sophie De Goede, Castaway Wanderers (Victoria, BC) ;Bianca Farella, Town of Mont Royal RFC (Montreal, QC) ;Ashley Gordon, Brampton Beavers (Brampton, ON) ;Julia Greenshields, Sarnia Saints (Sarnia, ON) ;Emmanuela Jada, Guelph Redcoats (Guelph, ON) ;Sara Kaljuvee, Toronto Scottish (Ajax, ON) ;Jen Kish, Edmonton Rockers (Edmonton, AB) ;Ghislaine Landry, Toronto Scottish (Toronto, ON) ;Kaili Lukan, Unattached(Barrie, ON) ;Megan Lukan, Unattached (Barrie, ON) ;Kayla Moleschi,Williams Lake Rustlers (Williams Lake, BC) ;Breanne Nicholas,London St. Georges (Blenheim, ON) ;Irene Patrinos, Ottawa Irish (Mississauga, ON) ;Denise Roy,Castaway Wanderers (Duncan, BC) ;Erika Scott, Ormstown Saracens (Dewittville, QC) ;Ashley Steacy, Lethbridge Rugby Club (Lethbridge, AB) ;Tia Svoboda, Belleville Bulldogs (Belleville, ON) ;Natasha Watcham-Roy, (Gatineau, QC) ;Charity Williams, Markham Irish (Toronto, ON)