Canada’s Senior Women’s 15s match day roster for this weekend’s international Test match against Wales has been confirmed, with Victoria’s Sophie de Goede captaining Head Coach Kevin Rouet’s side.
Canada face No. 9-ranked Wales this Saturday at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax, NS. Kickoff is at 5:00pm Atlantic/1:00pm PT.
The fixture represents the Women’s 15s program’s last warm-up match on home soil before they head to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next month. Olivia DeMerchant and Emma Taylor, both of whom call Halifax home, are part of the roster with the former in the starting lineup and the latter named among the finishers.
Several cap milestones will be achieved for Canada over the course of the match. Elissa Alarie – who is also a regular for Canada’s Senior Women’s Sevens team – will earn her 40th cap for the 15s, while it will be Alexandra Tessier’s 35th cap and Brianna Miller’s 30th.
Should she enter the field as a substitute, Laura Russell will earn her 53rd cap to pull level with her sister, Kelly, as the third most-capped Canadian woman of all time, while Justine Pelletier will receive her 10th cap if she enters the fray from the bench.
“The players have trained extremely well this week and our preparations to face Wales have been thorough. We look forward to another opportunity to test ourselves ahead of the Rugby World Cup, and a chance to play in front of another home crowd in such a passionate rugby city in Halifax and province in Nova Scotia.” Head Coach Kevin Rouet
CANADA SENIOR WOMEN’S XVS ROSTER VS. WALES
- Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
- Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
- DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
- Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans
- Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC
- Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec
- Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Les Lionnes du Stade Bordelais
- Sophie de Goede © (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC
- Brianna Miller (Pointe-Claire, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC
- Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders
- Maddy Grant (Cornwall, ON) – University of Ottawa
- Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC
- Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish
- Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Worcester Warriors
- Elissa Alarie (Trois-Rivieres, QC) – Westshore RFC
- Laura Russell (Bolton, ON) – Cowichan RFC / Toronto Nomads
- Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Redcoats
- Alex Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens
- Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS) – HRFC
- Ngalula Fuamba (Notre Dame de-l’ile-Perrot, QC) – T.M.R.R.F.C.
- Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
- Justine Pelletier (Riviere-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec
- Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans can watch Canada’s Senior Women’s XVs Test match versus Wales live on TSN 1 and 4, via TSN.ca and the TSN App. Kickoff is 5:00pm Atlantic/1:00pm PT on Saturday. An encore presentation is set for Sunday at 11:30am ET/8:30am PT on TSN 2.
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