USA and Canada U23s lock horns

Photo: USA's U23s in training. (usarugby.org)

Officially the fixture is the “AIG Women's Collegiate All-Americans” against “Maple Leafs”, this is in essence what European would call an U23 or perhaps an "A" international – a clash between teams that are the rising stars of the next generation.

Canada’s Maple Leafs will captained by Lori Josephson and coach Shaun Allen is confident.

“The Maple Leafs Series against the USA Collegiate All-Americans is very important to both the short term and long term success of the Women's Senior program,” he said. “It is fantastic to have the opportunity to have the senior and Maple Leaf groups in the same location at the same time and to share coaching and management resources.

“The USA CAA will be a strong side and will give the players representing the Maple Leafs a great opportunity to show what they are capable of under international pressure.”

All-American veterans Nicole Benedetti and Bailey Johnson are the major names in the USA’s U23 squad alongside the likes of 19 year-olds such as McKenzie Hawkins, Azniv Nalbandian, and Kat Ramage. Selected from a player pool of more than 90 who have been together at University of Utah for the past week, where Whitwell and the All-American coaching staff, including AIG Junior All-Americans Coach Wil Snape, were able to see players in high-pressure situations on and off the field prior to selecting the touring side.

Hawkins, Nalbandian, and Ramage join eight other teammates from last year's WJAAs as graduates to the under-23 program. Gabriella Cantorna, Lanoira Duhart, Frieda Fetu'u, Tess Feury, Etta Mailau, Danielle Ordway, and Tayla Pipkin were also members of Snape's WJAAs that defeat an under-20 Canadian side twice in two matches on the campus of Central Washington University.

USA Squad:Nicole Benedetti - Brandywine Riot ; Kaitlyn Broughton - Life University ; Sarah Buonopane - Beantown ; Gabriella Cantorna - Pennsylvania State University ; Allyson Day - Norwich University ; Lanoira Duhart - Winona State University ; Yejadai Dunn - Dartmouth College ; Frieda Fetu'u - Berkeley All Blues ; Tess Feury - Pennsylvania State University ; Mckenzie Hawkins - Lindenwood University ; Rebekah Hebdon - Brigham Young University ; Bailey Johnson - Minnesota Valkyries ; Jennifer Johnson - Central Washington University ; Jessica Lewis - University of California, Berkeley ; Katherine Loughran - University of Notre Dame ; Ilona Maher - Quinnipiac University ; Etta Mailau - Utah Vipers ; Azniv Nalbandian - Pennsylvania State University ; Uzoamaka Okoro - Brown University ; Danielle Ordway - Davenport University ; Taylah Pipkin - Pennsylvania State University ; Katherine Ramage - Dartmouth College ; Megan Rom - Life University ; Elizabeth Rose - Pennsylvania State University ; Francesca Sands - Dartmouth College ; Haley Schafer - Central Washington University

Canada squad:1. Colleen Irowa (McMaster University) Innisifil, ON; 2. Kathleen Keller (Castaway Wanderers) Quebec, QC; 3. Chelsey Minter (Velox Valkyries) Sydney, NS; 4. Emma Taylor (HRFC) Halifax, NS; 5. Camile Provençal-Aube (Abénakis et CRQ), Sherbrooke, QC; 6. Katie Svoboda (Belleville Bulldogs) Belleville, ON; 7. Sara Svoboda (Belleville Bulldogs RFC) Belleville, ON; 8. Daria Keane (Guelph Redcoats) Sarnia, ON; 9. Lori Josephson, captain (Aurora Barbarians) Beaverton, ON; 10. Mackenzie Higgs (Aurora Barbarians) Aurora, ON; 11. Elysa Sandron (Winnipeg Saracens RFC) Winnipeg, MB; 12. Julia Goss (Leprechaun Tigers) Edmonton, AB; 13. Amanda Williams (Calgary Hornets) Souris, MB; 14. Natasha Smith (Barrhaven Scottish) Ottawa, ON; 15. Alanna Fittes (Leprechaun Tigers) Rimbey, AB; 16. Simone Savory; 17. Megan Copeland- Dinan; 18. Brittany Kassil (Guelph Redcoats) Guelph, ON; 19. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB; Capilano/UBC); 20. Ngalula Fuamba (TMR) Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, QC; 21. Gabrielle Senft (UVic/Castaway Wanderers) Regina, SK; 22. Justine Pelletier (Club de Rugby de Quebec) Quebec, QC; 23. Jess Neilson (UVic/Castaway Wanderers) Vancouver, BC; 24. Lisa Gauthier (St-Anne de Bellevue), St-Bernardino, ON; 25. Petra Woods (Toronto Saracens) Brampton, ON; 26. Gillian Allen (Kirin) Saskatoon, SK

The two games will precede the Super Series clashes, kicking off at 1pm (local) on Wednesday and 11am Saturday