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Women's World Cup Trophy - Edmonton
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| © Pamela Smortchevsky |
Canada Leaves World Cup 6th in Women's Rugby: Loss to USA 23-20
from cbc.ca
posted Sept 5 2010
A disappointing Women's Rugby World Cup ended on a losing note for Canada on Sunday as the Canadian women were beaten 23-20 by the U.S. and had to settle for sixth place.
Later Sunday, three-time defending champion New Zealand takes on host England in the World Cup final. Australia and France play for third.
Canada, seeded fourth at the 12-team tournament, had placed fourth at the last three World Cups and had hoped to finish higher this time. But a loss to third-seeded France and a big Australian win in the final round of pool play eliminated the Canadian women (3-2) from semifinal contention.
The fifth-seeded Americans (3-2) have now won 16 of 28 career meetings with Canada. The two teams have split six games since the 2009 Nations Cup.
Canada had a dream start Sunday, leading 10-0 after eight minutes following an Anna Schnell penalty and a converted try by Heather Moyse. But Moyse, who won Olympic bobsled gold in February, had to be substituted in the 23rd minute because of a lower body injury.
She exited with seven tries, tying the number she had in 2006 when she led the tournament.
Megan Gibbs also scored a try for Canada. Fly half Schnell kicked two penalties and two conversions.
Lynelle Kugler, Ashley English and Vanesha McGee scored tries for the Americans. Christy Ringgenberg kicked two penalties and a conversion.
After trailing early, the Americans pulled ahead 11-10 in the 30th minute on two penalties and a try. Canada led 17-11 at the half after a 35th-minute Gibbs converted try.
The Americans regained the lead on two tries in five minutes — from Kugler and McGee — early in the second half to go ahead 23-17.
A Schenll penalty in the 66th minute trimmed the lead to 23-20. But the Canadians were unable to do more damage with the Americans holding on for the win after a back-and-forth match.
Canada's Sarah Ulmer was yellow-carded in the 25th minute for hands in the ruck, the seventh visit to the sin bin for the Canadians throughout the tournament.
The game marked a changing of the guard for Canada with captain Leslie Cripps, vice-captain Maria Gallo, Gillian Florence, Heather Jaques and Ulmer all retiring after the tournament.
Florence was substituted in the second half, leaving after five World Cups and 66 caps.
Canada Defeat Scotland 41-0 - Will Meet USA in 5th Place Playoff
from www.theglobeandmail.com
posted Sept 1 2010
Olympic bobsled champion Heather Moyse and Cheryl Phillips scored two tries apiece to give Canada a 41-0 win over Scotland at the Women's Rugby World Cup on Wednesday.
Moyse, a 32-year-old winger from Summerside, P.E.I., has six tries in four games. She led the 2006 tournament with seven.
The fourth-seeded Canadian women (3-1) will play the fifth-seeded Americans (2-2) in their final match Sunday to decide who finishes fifth at the 12-team tournament.
The Americans defeated No. 8 Ireland 38-3.
Canada could win five of six matches at the tournament and still finish fifth. The final placement is important for Canada since it determines rankings at the next World Cup.
The Canadians finished fourth the last three tournaments and had hoped for better but missed out on the semifinals after losing 23-8 to France on Saturday.
Any hopes of making the final four were eliminated when Australia hammered South Africa 62-0 to surpass the 56-point margin needed to grab the final semifinal berth.
Ninth-seeded Scotland went 1-2 in pool play, losing 37-10 to Canada in the tournament opener.
Mario Gallo and Mandy Marchak also scored tries for Canada on Wednesday. Anna Schnell kicked four conversions and a penalty.
Canada led 19-0 at the half.
Canadian flanker Heather Jacques was sent to the sin bin two minutes into the second half. She was joined on the sidelines six minutes later by prop Corinne Jacobsen.
Canada has received six yellow cards in four games.
Scotland centre Lucy Millard was sent to the sideline for 10 minutes in the sin bin in the first half.
England plays Australia in one semifinal, with three-time defending champion New Zealand taking on France in the other semifinal.
Canada Names Roster for 5th Place Semi-Final Versus Scotland
from Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communication
posted Aug 31 2010
Canada’s National Senior Women’s team has named its 22-player roster for Wednesday’s fifth place semi-final at the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
It will be the second time the NSWT has faced Scotland at this tournament; Canada trounced Scotland 37-10 in the opening match of the World Cup, but the circumstances are entirely different coming into this game.
Canada are very aware of the task they have laid out for themselves. By losing their last pool match to third-ranked France, they left the door open for Australia to score their way into the semi-finals instead of the Canadians.
But the NSWT has commendably shouldered the blame for that match, and soldiers on into the next, knowing the next two outcomes still carry much value for this program.
Gillian Florence, at her fifth World Cup, knows the difficulty of having to rebound from a shock-loss to perform a few days later, but says Canada has taken stock of where they are at and are very realistic about what they need to do.
“We have to move on. We have no choice. A lesser team would crumble even more and we’re determined not to do that.”
Scotland were in the same pool as the NSWT and had the same results against the same opponents, although they have been improving with every match. The two teams are in contrasting mindsets; whereas Canada were hoping for a top three finish, Scotland were aiming to be exactly where they are.
The two teams are battling to finish anywhere from 5th to 8th place, an IRB ranking that will stay with them until the next World Cup in 2014.
In an interview with the Scottish Rugby Union website, Scotland Head Coach Gary Parker said his squad’s chances against Canada rest on their performance in the first 20 minutes.
"It was great to reach our short-term aim of fifth to eighth place, but our long-term aim is to be in the top six. We showed how we can play in the second half of the first pool game against Canada, and we've been building on that performance. The first twenty minutes of this game will be massive."
In their first meeting, Canada put 25 of their 37 points on Scotland in the first half. Canada have scored a total of twelve tries thus far in the tournament, four more than Scotland’s eight; both sides only scored one try against France.
Canada World Cup veteran Sarah Ulmer echoes her teammate Florence in the reality of what this game still means to this team, and to the future program.
“We have two games left in this tournament and an opportunity to place fifth. We can show the class of rugby this team has and all of our hard work and effort. We can also give the people who will be competing [for Canada] at the next World Cup the best opportunity to do better than we have, and I have absolute confidence in those people coming through doing that.”
Canada kicks off against Scotland on Wednesday, September 1 at 4.15pm BST at Surrey Sport Park in Guildford.
Canada v Scotland – 2010 WORLD CUP – Fifth-place semi-final – September 1, 2010 4.15pm KO – London, England
1. Leslie Cripps CAPTAIN 2. Leslie McKenzie 3. Corinne Jacobsen 4. Megan Gibbs 5. Paige Burdett Knauf 6. Heather Jaques 7. Gillian Florence 8. Kelly Russell 9. Julia Sugawara 10. Anna Schnell 11. Maria Gallo VICE-CAPTAIN 12. Sarah Ulmer 13. Mandy Marchak 14. Heather Moyse 15. Cheryl Phillips 16. Kim Donaldson 17. Marlene Donaldson 18. Tabitha Stavrou 19. Jen Kish 20. Laura Stoughton 21. Brooke HIlditch 22. Brittany Waters
Canada Lose to France 23-8: Playoff for 5th Place
posted August 28 2010
by Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communication
Canada’s National Senior Women’s Team storybook World Cup campaign unraveled this afternoon, as they fell to France by a score of 23-8 in London, England.
The match was billed as the hinge of the tournament, as its outcome affected almost all of the 12 nations competing at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, but it most heavily affected Canada.
Canada were knocked out of the semi-finals today and will now play for fifth place against an opponent still to be determined by the outcomes of the final pool matches. The loss to France hurt Canada, but the proverbial nail in the coffin came in the following match when Australia put 62 points on South Africa.
With momentum seemingly on their side after sure wins over Scotland and Sweden, a combination of Canada balking and France typically rising to the occasion amounted to France’s four-try win.
France opened the scoring with an unconverted try, but Canada smartly answered back five minutes later at the hand of Anna Schnell’s foot, bringing the score to 5-3.
The two nations would continue to trade territory and possession, but as the game wore on, Canada picked up a few injuries and were haunted by penalties. Canada could not convert their chances to points, but France did, however, and the Europeans tacked on three more tries, a few the result of Canada's apparent Achilles: the maul.
Canada effort was evident, but any ground they gained was interrupted by uncharacteristic handling errors and miscues.
Head Coach John Long was somber after the match, reflecting the looks on his players’ faces, but was resolute over his side’s accountability for the loss.
“France retained possession and we didn’t, and when they got it, they scored from it and we didn’t. We gave it away after first phase. Our girls tried to make something happen, but just couldn’t.”
Up until today, the NSWT was clicking on all levels, on and off the pitch, which adds to the shock of their underperformance today. However difficult, the NSWT still has two matches left in the tournament and will need to rebound strongly to keep their 2010 World Cup performance respectable; their world ranking for the next four years depends on how they finish.
Even without knowing who their next opponent was, Long was admittedly disappointed for his team as they have put so much into preparation, but he was unwavering in his foresight.
“It’s like anything in sport; it doesn’t matter if you’re a player or a head coach, you live by it and you die by it. We had set a plan in place and picked players based on that plan but it just didn’t come to fruition today, but tomorrow, we get everyone together, regroup, and move forward.”
Canada has finished fourth place at the last three World Cups, beginning in 1998. Having been knocked out of the semi-finals, the best they can finish in 2010 is fifth.
There will be two more rounds of World Cup play on September 2nd and again on September 5th. The semi-finals and finals will be played at The Twickenham Stoop. All other matches are to be played at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford.
SCORING
France 23
Tries: Lucille Godiveau (2), Cyrielle Bouisset, Claire Canal
Pens: Aurelia Ballon
Canada 8
Tries: Kelly Russell
Pens: Anna Schnell
Canada v France – 2010 WORLD CUP – Saturday August 28, 2010 - 2.15pm BST – London, England
1. Leslie Cripps Captain 2. Lesley McKenzie 3. Corinne Jacobsen 4. Megan Gibbs 5. Paige Burdett Knauf 6. Barbara Mervin 7. Gillian Florence 8. Kelly Russell 9. Julia Sugawara 10. Anna Schnell 11. Maria Gallo Vice-captain 12. Sarah Ulmer 13. Mandy Marchak 14. Heather Moyse 15. Ashley Patzer 16. Marlene Donaldson 17. Kim Donaldson 18. Heather Jaques 19. Jen Kish 20. Laura Stoughton 21. Brooke Hilditch 22. Cheryl Phillips
Canada Announce Starting Lineup Versus France on Saturday
from Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communications
posted Aug 27 2010
Canada’s National Senior Women’s Rugby Team has announced its lineup for its biggest match in four years. On Saturday, the NSWT will face France, a nation they have a long and sour history with.
Canada owes its current fourth-place ranking to the Europeans as they finished behind third-ranked France at both the 2006 and 2002 World Cups.
The two rivals most recently squared off twice in November, splitting the series one and one. The Canadians were victorious in Dijon, but then fell to les Bleus in Paris at Stade de France.
Ironically, the IRB announced the 2010 World Cup pools the same day Canada beat France, adding weight to the already important win.
At the 2010 World Cup, against the same two opponents, Canada has put up 77 points and allowed 20 whereas have France scored just 32 points, but only conceded 16.
It has been argued that France have been saving their big guns for the big games, and with the fate of every team currently ranked fifth or lower depending on this one match, 'big game' becomes an understatement.
Gillian Florence is at her fifth World Cup and so she was on the last two squads that lost to France in the bronze medal match. She says Saturday's game has magnitude at both a personal and team level.
“Obviously this game is really important to me. France has seemed to be our nemesis the last few World Cups. Having the opportunity to meet France in pool play is huge, but whether it’s France or any other team, this is a must-win for us because it will put us in a good position for the semi-finals. The fact that it is France is another dimension to it, but we’re really trying to focus on us and not to think about the past.”
The Women’s Rugby World Cup is condensed and sees all of the competing nations dealing with short three or four day turnarounds. Florence says Canada is feeling fit and healthy after two tests, and is ready for whatever France throws their way.
“We’ve come away from two games at the international World Cup level injury free which is a testament to our conditioning and our preparation leading up to this. I feel rested, I feel good, and most of [my] teammates feel the same. We’ve recovered really well with this quick turnaround. We’re ready to take them on, best team or not.”
Canada kicks off against France on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 2.15pm BST at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford.
2010 World Cup Notes:
• The NSWT has two names on the scoring race: flyhalf Anna Schnell is second in total points scored with 22, and 2006 World Cup leading try scorer Heather Moyse is at it again, tied for first with four tries.
• New Zealand, England, Canada and France are the only unbeaten sides now after two rounds of the pool stages. The top four teams make it to the semi-final for a chance to play for the World Cup.
Canada v France – 2010 WORLD CUP – Saturday August 28, 2010 - 2.15pm BST – London, England
1. Leslie Cripps Captain 2. Lesley McKenzie 3. Corinne Jacobsen 4. Megan Gibbs 5. Paige Burdett Knauf 6. Barbara Mervin 7. Gillian Florence 8. Kelly Russell 9. Julia Sugawara 10. Anna Schnell 11. Maria Gallo Vice-captain 12. Sarah Ulmer 13. Mandy Marchak 14. Heather Moyse 15. Ashley Pazter 16. Tabitha Stavrou 17. Ashley MacDonald 18. Heather Jaques 19. Jen Kish 20. Laura Stoughton 21. Brooke Hilditch 22. Cheryl Phillips
Canada Cruises to Second Victory at World Cup: 40-10 over Sweden
[ed. comments below. With USA's surprising loss to Ireland it looks like Ireland will take 2nd in Pool A but they have a point differential of -17 with Kazakhstan left. Australia will likely take 2nd in pool A with a current point differential of -13 and a match against South Africa remaining.]
posted Aug 24 2010
Canada defeated Sweden 40-10 today to take top place in Pool C. France narrowly got by Scotland 17-7. That leaves Canada with 10 points and France with 8 points with a winner take all match between Canada and France on August 28th. Canada's point differential is now +57.
Heather Moyse scored 3 tries, Ashley Patzer 2 and Mandy Marchak opened the scoring in the first minute. Canada had secured the bonus point by the 23rd minute of the first half. Heather Moyse now leads the competition with 4 tries with 3 games still left in round two.
Mandy Marchak 1 minute
Ashley Patzer 11 minute
Heather Moyse 16 minute
Heather Moyse 23 minute
HT
Ashley Patzer 1 minute
Heather Moyse 32 minute
Canada took two yellow cards in the second half, one to Marlene Donaldson (18 min) and the other to Mandy Marchak (39 min).
Heather Moyse scoring one of three tries against Sweden (irb.com)
Ashley Patzer scored 2 tries against Sweden (irb.com)
Canada Names Squad for Sweden on Tuesday
by Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communication
posted Aug 23 2010
Canada will face Sweden on Tuesday, and though the Europeans are the surprise inclusion of the tournament, they put up a valiant effort against third-ranked France in their first match, so they cannot be taken lightly.
Scotland were Canada’s first victims, falling 37-10 in the champagne match of the tournament. The NSWT have been very public with their goal to ‘start fast and finish strong’, and they checked both of those boxes against the Scots by scoring five tries, earning them a crucial bonus point.
Sweden played well in their match, but it was more a case of an underachieving French side that lead to a tight 15-9 score. Either way, France were prevented from earning an expected bonus point, so Canada will want to exploit that on Tuesday.
Fourth-ranked Canada is in Pool C alongside Scotland, France and Sweden. There are three pool matches before being re-seeded: Canada must finish in the top four to have a chance to play in the finals.
In the Scotland match, the NSWT had four different players run in tries from various areas of play. Flanker Barbara Mervin, who finished off a 40m break by lock Megan Gibbs, opened Canada’s flood of tries that was concluded by wing Heather Moyse.
NSWT captain Leslie Cripps acknowledged the importance of a good start to the tournament, but was hesitant to read to much into the win, and is insistent Canada can build on their first win.
"After the match, I think we realized the good things that we can do but we also know there are still some areas we need to improve. It was the first game of five, so we are going to get better and stronger.”
The narrow margin between France and Sweden was a reminder for Canada not to take the Swedes – or any team – at face value, said Cripps, especially with the World Cup tournament’s format being so unforgiving.
“I think the best thing for us was what a great match Sweden and France had, and there’s just no way we can walk into either of those games assuming anything”
The New Zealand Black Ferns are three-time World Champions, followed closely by tournament hosts England, but there are a number of teams who can genuinely challenge for the World Cup title in 2010 including Australia, France, and, of course, Canada.
Canada vs. Sweden – 2010 WORLD CUP – August 24, 2010 2.15pm – London, England
1. Leslie Cripps CAPTAIN 2. Lesley McKenzie 3. Marlene Donaldson 4. Megan Gibbs 5. Paige Knauf 6. Barbara Mervin 7. Gillian Florence 8. Kelly Russell 9. Julia Sugawara 10. Anna Schnell 11. Maria Gallo VICE-CAPTAIN 12. Sarah Ulmer 13. Mandy Marchak 14. Heather Moyse 15. Ashley Patzer 16. Tabitha Stavrou 17. Kim Donaldson 18. Jennifer Kish 19. Heather Jaques 20. Laura Stoughton 21. Brooke Hilditch 22. Brittany Waters
Canada Defeats Scotland 37-10 in World Cup Opener: Updated with Video Highlights
Video Highlights of Game
[ed. USA defeated Kazakhstan 51-0 so Canada will have to open it up against Sweden. France narrowly beat Sweden 15-9 so didn't get a bonus point. Australia defeated Wales 26-12. Canada looks to have a good chance to defeat France while the USA's point differential will likely come down when they play England.]
posted Aug 20 2010
from Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communication
Canada’s NSWT cracked open the 2010 World Cup with a 37 – 10 victory over the Scots in London, England.
With five tries and 12 points off the boot of flyhalf Anna Schnell, Canada started the World Cup exactly how they planned at the expense of ninth-ranked Scotland.
Schnell was the opening and closing brackets of scoring for Canada, who never really did look shaky, even with the added pressure of being the opening match of the entire tournament.
Canada probed Scotland’s defense to see if there were any weak links, and they ended up exposing a few, finding success on the wing, through the centres, as well as up front with Barbara Mervin touching down Canada’s first try.
No.8 Kelly Russell did not make the score sheet, but she had an outstanding match as the scrum’s rudder and had a hand in a few of Canada’s scores.
Mandy Marchak, who also featured for Canada at the Rugby Sevens World Cup and at the last XV’s World Cup, was a runaway train and crossed Scotland’s line twice. The centre-pairing of Marchak and Sarah Ulmer is one area of Canada’s lineup that has remained unchanged in the past year, and their strong link showed today.
Scotland’s Lucy Millard used the same footwork that saw her so much personal success in the Six Nations to get around Canada’s backs to touch down in the corner. The Scots would need Canada to go down a player when Barbara Mervin was penalized for pulling down a jumper in the lineout for Scotland to score a scrappy try.
The Scots never did genuinely threaten to take the match, but with every score counting towards qualification in the later stages of the World Cup, Canada continued to tack on points until the final whistle, including outside trots for wingers Heather Moyse and vice-captain Maria Gallo.
The NSWT was training exceptionally well this week but they were reluctant to read too much into it; Canada can exhale a little and look to their next match having started the tournament with the form they did.
Head Coach John Long was visibly excited at his squad’s performance, as he was also unsure of what to expect.
“We started fast and we gave some great tries. We were running great lines and the girls really put in a performance. We knew Scotland were going to come back at us with a good half and they certainly did that, but for us to make sure we held strong until the end, well it was just magic.”
Vice-captain Maria Gallo who was a beneficiary of Mervin and Russell’s candy hands, was very pleased with her squad’s first match and says they will use it to build their next performance on.
“Scotland came out hard, but we had a quick start which was one our aims for the tournament. We want to start fast and finish strong, which are two things we actually achieved today. We didn’t execute on some of our back plays and didn’t use all of our attributes but we’re definitely going to work on that in the next few days, but I think we’re happy. We had a good win. One down, and four to go.”
Canada will play Sweden on Tuesday, August 24 at 2.15pm BST at the same tournament venue.
Scoring Summary
CAN 37
Tries: Barbara Mervin, Mandy Marchak (2), Maria Gallo, Heather Moyse
Cons: Schnell (3)
Pens: Schnell (2)
SCO 10
Tries: Lucy Millard, Lindsay Wheeler
Scrum half Julia Sugawara against Scotland's #9 (irb.com)
Hooker Lesley McKenzie breaking tackles (irb.com)
Canada Announces Starting Roster for Scotland Game
[ed. the original release from Meghan stated that there was live video coverage of the Canada game, this is apparently not the case.]
from Meghan Mutrie - NSWT Communications
posted August 19 2010
Head Coach John Long has selected his team for the christening match of the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup in London, England.
Canada’s experience is evenly balanced throughout the roster; two thirds of the starting XV have been to a World Cup before, but overall, the split is almost right down the middle (10 with, 12 without).
Canada and Scotland last faced each other in 2007 with Canada sealing a comfortable 46-3 win in Glasgow, but both teams have made a lot of ground in three years.
Fourth-ranked Canada enter the match as favorites over sixth-ranked Scotland, but based on their checkered year, the Scottish can be unpredictable; they beat third-ranked France in the Six Nations, but then were recently swept at home by the 12th-ranked South Africans.
Despite their mixed bag results, Head Coach John Long respects the danger the Scots present.
“Scotland are renowned for the way they play. They always wear their heart on their sleeve. They can mess game plans like the best of the teams around the world, so you have to go in with the mindset that they’re going to do everything they can to ensure you are on the back foot.
“We have to be prepared for that; we have to be ready for the whirlwind that’s going to come at us. It’s how we deal with that first 20 minutes that will set the tone for the game.”
Canada’s NSWT arrived in the UK on August 10, but were based in Cardiff, Wales for a pre-World Cup preparation camp until earlier this week. The camp gave the Canadians valuable time together before arriving at Surrey Sports Park, the World Cup venue for all 12 teams.
Rugby World Cups – like the Olympics – occur once every four years and Coach Long believes his squad is more than prepared for the tournament ahead, but says it is so important to not get overwhelmed and try and do too much in one game.
“I think it’s important we set our structures in place, and not try to stick everything in at once, but to play the ones we have selected for this particular game. There are lots of thing we can do, but it’s making sure we do the right ones at the right time.”
Canada and Scotland kickoff at 12pm BST at Surrey Sport Park in Guildford on Friday, August 20, 2010.
Corresponding Kickoff Times in Canada
Toronto: 7am EDT
Calgary: 5am MST
Vancouver: 4am PDT
Canada vs. Scotland - 2010 WORLD CUP – August 20, 2010 12pm – London, England
1. Leslie Cripps (CAPTAIN) 2. Lesley McKenzie 3. Corinne Jacobsen 4. Megan Gibbs 5. Paige Knauf 6. Barbara Mervin 7. Gillian Florence 8. Kelly Russell 9. Julia Sugawara 10. Anna Schnell 11. Maria Gallo (VICE-CAPTAIN) 12. Sarah Ulmer 13. Mandy Marchak 14. Heather Moyse 15. Ashley Patzer 16. Tabitha Stavrou 17. Kim Donaldson 18. Jennifer Kish 19. Heather Jaques 20. Laura Stoughton 21. Brooke Hilditch 22. Cheryl Phillips
Coaching Staff
John Long Head Coach
Kris de Scossa Assistant Coach
Paul Balsom Strength & Conditioning
Kristy Martin Hale Program Manager
Dr. Rosalind Mullins Physician
Jean (Shaw) Soleyn Athletic Therapist
Melody Lee Massage Therapist
Meghan Mutrie Communications
NSWT Squad Selected and CanAm Tests Announced
[ed. just minutes after crabbing about no press release on the Women's Canada v USA game I received this from Meghan. We can all now relax knowing that Mooch is on the job, there's none better.]
by Meghan Mutrie
posted June 3 2010
In just over 75 days, Canada’s National Senior Women’s Team will play the opening match of the 2010 Rugby World Cup against Scotland, but before then, the squad has two tests and a last chance to make final adjustments before heading to London in August.
The NSWT will host their border-sharing foes, the USA Eagles, in a domestic event on Vancouver Island. Canada and USA faced off in August at the 2009 Nations Cup, where the Americans stole a last-minute victory from their higher ranked neighbors. More recently, Canada travelled to Florida in January for two tests, where each team won one.
David Robertson, Headmaster at Shawnigan Lake High School, has very kindly donated the use of his school’s facility to the NSWT. With its lush playing fields and Harry Potter-esque dining hall, the squad will be more than taken care of during the camp, running from June 10 – June 20.
Shawnigan Lake School will host the first match on Monday, June 14th with a 4pm kickoff time. The two squads will then move closer to Victoria for their second and final test on Friday, June 18th at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford, kicking off at 5pm.
As any Canadian will attest, this classic rivalry does not get old regardless of how many times the two nations meet or what sport they are playing.
Though the emphasis will be on preparing for the RWC for both teams, just quietly, Canada has a chance to even the score and take the five-test series with two wins, a fact the Americans are surely aware of.
Looking for an outlet for all that national pride roused by the Vancouver Olympics? The two games on home soil present a great opportunity for rugby fans to show their support for the NSWT, and a perfect chance for Canadians to back their country against the USA.
As it is the last time this team will be together before departing for the RWC, supporters are being urged to help send Canada off proudly.
Tickets to each match are $10, with free admission to those under 12 but accompanied by an adult, and discounts for group sales are available.
Tickets will be sold through the Rugby Canada West Coast Office and also available on game day at the gate. NSWT Program Manager Kristy Martin has put together an information packet for out-of-town supporters including hotels offering a Rugby Canada discount, maps, and tourism activities, that can be found here.
For further information or to answer any questions, please contact:
Kristy Martin, Program Manager: kmartin@rugbycanada.ca 250-418-8998 ext 301
Event Coordinator Jen Nieuwendyk: jnieuwendyk@rugbycanada.ca 905.780.8998 ext 233
Canadian Squad
Marie-Eve Brindamour-Carignan Burnaby Lake Rugby Club/Town of Mount Royal
Leslie Cripps Saracens (London, England)
Kim Donaldson Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
Marlene Donaldson Velox Valkyries
Gillian Florence Ste Anne de Bellevue RFC
Maria Gallo Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
Megan Gibbs Irish Canadians
Brooke Hilditch Yeoman’s Women’s Rugby Club
Corinne Jacobsen Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
Heather Jaques Capilano RFC
Shannon Kane Velox Valkyries
Jennifer Kish Lep Tigers
Paige Knauf Velox Valkries
Ashley MacDonald Lethbridge Rugby Club/Calgary Irish
Mandy Marchak Capilano RFC
Lesley McKenzie Wainuiomata Rugby Club
Barbara Mervin Velox Valkyries
Heather Moyse Toronto Scottish RFC
Darcy Patterson Capilano RFC
Ashley Patzer Lethbridge Rugby Club
Cheryl Phillips Toronto Scottish RFC
Kelly Russell Toronto Nomads
Kristy Sargent Lep Tigers
Anna Schnell Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
Tabitha Stavrou Irish Canadians
Laura Stoughton Calgary Irish
Julia Sugawara Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
Brittany Waters Meraloma Athletic Club
Sarah Ulmer Saracens (London, England)
Julianne Zussman Town of Mount Royal RFC
Non-Travelling Reserves
Andrea Burk Capilano RFC
Tara Eckert Calgary Irish
Danielle Rowlands Calgary Irish
Staff
Head Coach John Long
Assistant Coach Kris de Scossa
S&C Coach Paul Balsom
Program Manager Kristy Martin Hale
Doctor Rosie Mullins
Athletic Therapist Jean Soleyn
Massage Therapist Michelle Brown
Manager Assistant Audrey Park
Communications Meghan Mutrie
Unavailable: Therapist Melody Lee
Joyce Henry and Sherry Trumbull Announced as RWC Referees
Rugby Canada media release
posted Dec 16 2009
The International Rugby Board has just announced the names of the 11 referees and three Assistant Referees to officiate at the 2010 IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup. The names include seven female Referees from around the world, four male Referees
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