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Canadian women's rugby coach chooses veteran squad for Can-Am series

Canadian coach Francois Ratier has chosen a veteran squad for next week's two-match women's rugby Can-Am Series against the U.S.

Canucks will face the U.S. in pair of games beginning Tuesday

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press ·
Kelly Russell, seen above competing in Rio last summer, will be one of the returning starters for the Canadian women's rugby team when Canada faces the U.S. in the Can-Am Series for two games beginning on Tuesday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Canadian coach Francois Ratier has chosen a veteran squad for next week's two-match women's rugby Can-Am Series against the U.S.

Canada, currently ranked third in the world, plays the seventh-ranked Americans on Tuesday and Saturday at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Centre in suburban San Diego.

It's part of Canada's buildup for the Rugby World Cup in August in Ireland, where the Canadian women have been drawn in a group with No. 1 New Zealand, No. 9 Wales and No. 23 Hong Kong.

Ratier's 26-woman squad includes 14 of the players who saw action in the 21-9 loss to England in the final of the 2014 Rugby World Cup.

"It's not the time now to try new players ... it's about fine-tuning, but also try our systems and see what works, what doesn't," Ratier said. "But at the same time these are international games and it's really important for me that the mentality is if it's an international game, we need to win it and perform.

Full roster

  • Elissa Alarie, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/Westshore RFC (Trois Rivieres, Que.)
  • Emily Belchos, Westshore RFC (Innisfil, Ont.)
  • Tyson Beukeboom, Aurora Barbarians/Cowichan RFC (Uxbridge, Ont.)
  • Latoya Blackwood, Westshore RFC (Montreal)
  • Andrea Burk, Capilano RFC (North Vancouver, B.C.)
  • Olivia DeMerchant, Woodstock Wildmen/Castaway Wanderers (Mapledale, N.B.)
  • Jacey Grusnick, Aurora Barbarians (Alliston, Ont)
  • Chelsea Guthrie, Stratchona Druids (Edmonton)
  • Magali Harvey, Club de Rugby de Quebec (Quebec City)
  • Anais Holly, TMRRFC (Montreal)
  • Lori Josephson, Aurora Barbarians (Beaverton, Ont.)
  • Brittany Kassil, Guelph Redcoats (Guelph, Ont.)
  • Jane Kirby, Highland Fergus Rugby Club (Brampton, Ont.)
  • Kayla Mack, Saskatoon Wild Oats (Saskatoon, Sask.)
  • Carolyn McEwen, Burnaby (Vancouver)
  • DaLeaka Menin, Calgary Hornets (Vulcan, Alta.)
  • Barbara Mervin, Westshore RFC (Peterborough, Ont.)
  • Brianna Miller, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/ Westshore RFC (Pointe-Claire, Que.)
  • Cindy Nelles, Belleville Bulldogs (Belleville, Ont.)
  • Karen Paquin, Club de Rugby de Quebec/ Castaway Wanderers (Quebec City)
  • Frederique Rajotte, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC (Montreal)
  • Laura Russell, Toronto Nomads/ Cowichan RFC (Bolton, Ont.)
  • Kelly Russell, Toronto Nomads/ Cowichan RFC (Bolton, Ont.)
  • Amanda Thornborough, Westshore RFC (Brandon, Man.)
  • Brittany Waters, Meraloma Athletic Club/Castaway Wanderers (Vancouver)
  • Julianne Zussman, Castaway Wanderers (Montreal)
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