Canada Can-Am Series roster includes 10 Ontario natives

March 25, 2017

With files from Rugby Canada Communications:

Canada’s senior women’s head coach Francois Ratier has named a 26-player squad for next week’s Can-Am Series with the USA.

Twenty-five of the players selected have previous test experience with Brittany Kassil the lone player without a test appearance for Canada.

The squad is named after a weeklong training camp at Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island that featured nearly 40 athletes.

Canada, who are ranked third in the world, will face the seventh ranked USA on March 28 and April 1 in San Diego.

The Can-Am Series kicks off what is going to be a busy year for Canada’s senior women in the lead-in to the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland this August. Following their two test match series in California, Canada will travel to New Zealand for a three-game tour to face New Zealand, England and Australia. Canada will face New Zealand, Wales and Hong Kong in the Women’s Rugby World Cup pool stages.

Canada and the USA last faced off in the 2016 Women’s Rugby Super Series (WRSS) where Ratier’s team secured a convincing 33-5 win en route to a perfect 3-0 tournament to claim their first WRSS title. Canada is 16-18 all-time against the USA.

The first test match on March 28th will be streamed live on USA Rugby’s Facebook page, while the second will be available on The Rugby Channel.

Canada’s Senior Women’s Can-Am Squad:

Elissa Alarie, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/Westshore RFC (Trois Rivieres, QC)

Emily Belchos, Westshore RFC (Innisfil, ON)

Tyson Beukeboom, Aurora Barbarians/Cowichan RFC (Uxbridge, ON)

Latoya Blackwood, Westshore RFC (Montreal, QC)

Andrea Burk, Capilano RFC (North Vancouver, BC)

Olivia DeMerchant, Woodstock Wildmen/Castaway Wanderers (Mapledale, NB)

Jacey Grusnick, Aurora Barbarians (Alliston, ON)

Chelsea Guthrie, Stratchona Druids (Edmonton, AB)

Magali Harvey, Club de Rugby de Quebec (Quebec City, QC)

Anais Holly, TMRRFC (Montreal, QC)

Lori Josephson, Aurora Barbarians (Beaverton, ON)

Brittany Kassil, Guelph Redcoats (Guelph, ON)

Jane Kirby, Highland Fergus Rugby Club (Brampton, ON)

Kayla Mack, Saskatoon Wild Oats (Saskatoon, SK)

Carolyn McEwen, Burnaby (Vancouver, BC)

DaLeaka Menin, Calgary Hornets (Vulcan, AB)

Barbara Mervin, Westshore RFC (Peterborough, ON)

Brianna Miller, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/ Westshore RFC (Pointe-Claire, QC)

Cindy Nelles, Belleville Bulldogs (Belleville, ON)

Karen Paquin, Club de Rugby de Quebec/ Castaway Wanderers (Quebec City, QC)

Frederique Rajotte, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC (Montreal, QC)

Laura Russell, Toronto Nomads/ Cowichan RFC (Bolton, ON)

Kelly Russell, Toronto Nomads/ Cowichan RFC (Bolton, ON)

Amanda Thornborough, Westshore RFC (Brandon, MB)

Brittany Waters, Meraloma Athletic Club/Castaway Wanderers (Vancouver, BC)

Julianne Zussman, Castaway Wanderers (Montreal, QC)

Unavailable for selection:

Julia Goss, Leprechaun Tiger Rugby (Edmonton, AB)

Demi Stamatakis, SFU (Vancouver, BC)

Alex Tessier, Montreal Barbarians (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC)

Coaching and Support Staff: Head coach — Francois Ratier

Assistant Coach — Shaun Allen

Scrum Coach — Gary Dukelow

Technical Support — Colette McAuley

Manager — Nicole Crowley

Medical — Nicole Ainsworth

Strength & Conditioning — Jamie McCartney

Analyst — James Kent

ABOUT RUGBY ONTARIO

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To learn more, visit https://www.rugbyontario.com/