Canada to play at Stade de France
Canada will make history in France later this year when they play at the Stade de France as part of a unique double-header.
Published by Scrum Queens, September 16th, 2009
2 minute read
The fourth-ranked Canadian women will take on third-ranked France on the same day and pitch that the French men will take on Samoa. The game, on November 21, will come on the same day that the England womens team take on the Black Ferns as part of another double-header at Twickenham in London.
Steph White, who captained Canada at their first World Cup appearance, says the announcement is very exciting and a big step for the womens game,
The exposure for the womens game internationally will be huge and based on what I saw at the recent Nations Cup, the have an excellent chance of beating France on their home soil.
Stade de France is home to the French Top 14 professional club Stade Francais Paris, which has had a few Canadian internationals among its ranks in recent years.
Mike James, who has 50 caps for Canada, spent seven years with the professional club. While still playing for Perpignan, James actually played against Stade in 1998 for the stadiums opening match.
He said: Stade de France is a wonderful facility and a world-class rugby pitch. The pitch condition will be determined by the weather, as it is open-roof, though somewhat protected from wind and rain. My advice to the NSWT would be to seize the opportunity of playing world-class rugby in a world-class facility.
Games like these dont come around often for any Canadian rugby player.
Exact tour dates and details will be announced at a later date.