Veteran forward Tyson Beukeboom, who won a record 68th cap for Canada in May, leads coach Kevin Rouet's 35-player training squad ahead of the WXV women's rugby tournament that kicks off later this month.
Rouet has also called in seven members of Canada's silver medal-winning sevens squad from the Paris Olympics: Olivia Apps, Caroline Crossley, Alysha Corrigan, Chloe Daniels, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds and Taylor Perry.
Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 10 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the seventh-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.
WXV 1 features the top three teams from both the Pacific Four Series and Women's Six Nations. Canada finished runner-up to England in last year's inaugural WXV 1 in New Zealand.
The Canadians are coming off a historic win over New Zealand in May in Christchurch, dispatching the reigning World Cup champion 22-19 to win the Pacific Four Series. The Canadian women had lost all 17 previous meetings with the Black Ferns, with 10 of those defeats by 27 points or more.
Beukeboom won her 68th cap in the New Zealand victory, surpassing Gillian Florence on Canada’s all-time caps list.
The Canadian players open camp Saturday in Langford, B.C., and are scheduled to leave for Vancouver on Sept. 21 ahead of their Sept. 29 tournament opener against France at B.C. Place Stadium.
“The players and staff are all excited to be back together again after a very exciting spring and summer for women’s rugby in Canada,” Rouet, who will name his final squad prior to the tournament, said in a statement. “We have a strong group of players coming into camp to prepare for WXV 1.
"We have seen significant growth and development in the squad through our recent success at the Pacific Four Series and the Olympics in Paris with many of the players also continuing to play at a high level both internationally and in Canada. WXV 1 represents the next step in our journey as we look forward to the 2025 Rugby World Cup.”
Twenty-five of the players invited to camp were part of Pacific Four Series squad that also registered wins over No 5 Australia and the seventh-ranked U.S.
Gabrielle Senft, Fabiola Forteza and Justine Pelletier join the Canada squad after helping Stade Bordelais to the French club title in June.
Veterans Karen Paquin and Brianna Miller return for the first time since the 2021 World Cup after playing in this summer's Quebec Ontario Rugby Championship.
But star forward Sophie de Goede, Canada's captain, remains sidelined as she recovers from knee surgery,
The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.
WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by virtue of reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.
Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.
WXV 1 SCHEDULE (All times ET)
Sept. 29, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver
U.S. vs. England, 3:30 p.m.
Canada vs. France, 6:45 p.m.,
New Zealand vs. Ireland, 10 p.m.
Oct. 5, at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, Langley, B.C.
U.S. vs. France, 3:30 p.m.
Canada vs. Ireland, 6:35 p.m.
Oct. 6, at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, Langley, B.C.
New Zealand vs. England, 4 p.m. ET
Oct. 11, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver
U.S. vs. Ireland, 3:30 p.m.
Oct. 12, at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver
New Zealand vs. France, 6:45 p.m.
Canada vs. England, 10 p.m.
Canada’s Women’s Rugby WXV Camp Squad
Forwards
Abby Duguid, Edmonton, Loughborough Lightning (England); Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Francais (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph RFC; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Stade Bordelais (France); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Capilano RFC; Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Quebec East; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); Maya Montiel, Dieppe, N.B., Saracens (England); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Mikiela Nelson, North Vancouver, Exeter Chiefs (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., BC Blue; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Western Force (Australia); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England).
Backs
Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Brianna Miller, Pointe-Claire, Que., Quebec West; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Chloe Daniels, Sutton, Ont., Queen’s University; Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Westshore RFC; Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Riviere-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., UBC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Chiefs Manawa (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press