Rugby Canada has named its respective Women’s and Men’s Squads for the upcoming Pacific 4 Series in Ottawa and Tour to Tonga.
A host of BC athletes will represent Canada this summer – congratulations to all athletes and their respective BC Rugby Member Clubs on this achievement!
Read both squad announcements from Rugby Canada below:
CANADA NAMES WOMEN’S SQUAD HEADING TO OTTAWA
Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team Head Coach Kevin Rouet has announced the 30 players who will make up Canada’s squad for the 2023 World Rugby Pacific Four Series matches in Ottawa.
Final selections were made following a pre-tournament camp of 40 players at Oakfield Rugby Park in Perth that included a Canada Day scrimmage with the USA. The team has now relocated to Ottawa for their final week of preparation ahead of playing the New Zealand Black Ferns on Saturday July 8.
Led by captain Sophie de Goede and vice-captain Justine Pelletier, the team includes four standout U Sports players who have been named to their first senior national team squad: Ashlynn Smith (University of Calgary), Claire Gallagher (University of Ottawa), Mya Brubacher (Queen’s University), and Sara Cline (University of Lethbridge). Canada West 2022 Player of the Year Shoshanah Seumanutafa (University of British Columbia) returns, and could play in her second cap, having made her debut in 2019.
Canada plays New Zealand on July 8 and Australia on July 14 at TD Place. Tickets start at just $20 and can be purchased at rugby.ca/en/tickets. Questions regarding ticket purchases can be directed to tickets@rugby.ca.
FORWARDS
Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens
Ashlynn Smith (Abbotsford, BC) – University of Calgary
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
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Exeter Chiefs
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat
McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians
Mya Brubacher (West Montrose, ON) – Kingston Panthers / Queen’s University
Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
Sara Cline (Edmonton, AB) – Leprechaun Tigers
Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC
BACKS
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC
Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / University of Ottawa
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Wester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC
Florence Symonds (Hong Kong) – University of British Columbia
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
Madison Grant (Cornwall, ON) – Cornwall Claymores
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors
Sabrina Poulin (St-Georges, QC) – TMRRFC / Eibar Rugby Taldea
Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish / Westshore RFC
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Lons Section Paloise
Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia
STAFF
Kevin Rouet, Head Coach
Blake Wilson, Assistant Coach
Duncan McNaughton, Assistant Coach
Jack Hanratty, Assistant Coach
Jocelyn Barrieau, Assistant Coach
Maria Gallo, Assistant Coach
Martial Lagain, Assistant Coach
Jeremy Steinbach, Strength & Conditioning Coach
Stacey Maskelyne, Analyst
Alli Rodway, Athletic Therapist
Amelie Michaud, Physiotherapist
Kristy Martin Hale, Team Manager
Emily McComb, Assistant Manager
MEN’S SQUAD NAMED FOR TONGA TOUR
Head Coach Kingsley Jones has named the 32-player squad for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s upcoming tour in Tonga.
Led by co-captains Lucas Rumball and Ben LeSage, the squad includes five players who will embark on their first career Canadian senior national team tour. These players include Tyler Wong and Ciaran Breen, who both progressed through Rugby Canada’s age grade and Pacific Pride programs before being signed to the Toronto Arrows for the 2023 season. Zephyr Melnyk, who had a standout performance at the Coast to Coast Cup in June with the BC Bears, is another Pacific Pride player who could earn his first cap for Canada.
Debuting for Canada’s U20 Men’s Team in 2020 and now travelling with the senior team is Jack Shaw, who also made his MLR debut this season with Rugby ATL. Siôn Parry, who qualifies to play for Canada through his Ontario-born mother, comes to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team from Wales, where he has impressed defensively with Pontypridd RFC in the Indigo Group Welsh Premiership.
FORWARDS
Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – Pacific Pride / New Plymouth Old Boys
Conor Keys (Stittsville, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Ottawa Ospreys / New England Free Jacks
Conor Young (Yamba, Australia) – Greater Sydney Rams / New England Free Jacks
Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / San Diego Legion
Foster Dewitt (Courtney, BC) – Westshore RFC / New England Free Jacks
Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Spotswood United RFC
Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) – Manitoba Wombats / Dallas Jackals
Liam Murray (Langley, BC) – Dallas Jackals
Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Toronto Arrows
Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Pacific Pride / Toronto Arrows
Matthew Klimchuk (Regina, SK) – Regina Rogues / Pacific Pride
Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) – Oxford University
Siaki Vikilani (Vancouver, BC) – Burnaby Lake RFC / The American Raptors
Siôn Parry (Cardiff, Wales) – Rhiwbina RFC / Pontypridd RFC
Travis Larsen (Parksville, BC) – James Bay AA / Meralomas / Toronto Arrows
Tyler Wong (North Vancouver, BC) – Pacific Pride / Toronto Arrows
Zephyr Melnyk (Gabriola Island, BC) – Nanaimo Hornets / Pacific Pride
BACKS
Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
Ciaran Breen (Victoria, BC) – Cowichan RFC / Toronto Arrows
D’Shawn Bowen (Toronto, ON) – Pacific Pride / Toronto Arrows
Gabe Casey (Ottawa, ON) – University of Victoria
Gradyn Bowd (Red Deer, AB) – Castaway Wanderers / Old Glory DC
Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) – New England Free Jacks
Jack Shaw (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Rugby Atlanta
Jason Higgins (Cork, Ireland) – San Diego Legion
Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) – Queen’s University / Houston SaberCats
Mitch Richardson (Stoney Creek, ON) – McMaster University / Toronto Arrows
Peter Nelson (Dungannon, UK) – Dungannon RFC / Toronto Arrows
Robbie Povey (Northampton, UK) – Long Bukby RFC / Houston SaberCats
Ross Braude (Pretoria, South Africa) – Toronto Arrows
Spencer Jones (Cambridge, New Zealand) – New England Free Jacks
NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES
Andrew Davidson
Dewald Kotzi
Jacob Bossi
Liam Bowman
Lindsey Stevens
Noah Bain
Owain Ruttan
Talon McMullin
STAFF
Kingsley Jones, Head Coach
Robert Howley, Senior Assistant Coach
John McFarland, Defence Coach
David Butcher, Scrum and Forward Coach
Michael Deasy, Strength and Conditioning Coach
Dr. Billy Longland, Team Doctor
Kristy Mueller, Lead Therapist
Alistair Wilson, Therapist
Michael Jordan, Team Manager
BC Rugby
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E: info@bcrugby.com
BC Rugby gratefully acknowledges that its offices reside on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
