Head Coach Kevin Rouet has confirmed his 32-player squad that will travel to South Africa for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s two matches against the Springbok Women in July as part of their preparation for the Rugby World Cup.
The game first will take place July 5 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, the second on July 12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. Both matches will kick off at 1:30pm local time (4:30am PT / 7:30am ET) and will be available on TSN3 and TSN+.
“The players and staff are all excited to get down to South Africa to continue our preparations for the Rugby World Cup,” said Rouet. “Three weeks of training together and another two test matches will go a long way to ensure our squad is ready.”
Taylor McKnight has been selected for her first tour with Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team. From Stouffville, Ontario, McKnight spent the past season playing at the University of Guelph and with the Ontario West team that competed in the Quebec Ontario Rugby Championship earlier this spring.
This also marks the first time Carissa Norsten will tour with Canada’s 15s team after making her international rugby debut with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team. Norsten was named the HSBC SVNS Series Rookie of the Year in 2024.
Following the South Africa tour, the squad will assemble in Ottawa in late July for their match against the USA at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa on August 1. This is the fourth year in a row that Ottawa has hosted international rugby. Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team last played at TD Place in 2023 for the Pacific Four Series, playing in front of 10,092 fans, the largest crowd in Canadian women’s rugby history. Tickets can be purchased HERE .
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD
FORWARDS
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats
Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers
Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC / Gloucester-Hartpury
Holly Phillips (Canmore, AB) – Banff Bears / Calgary Irish / Bristol Bears
Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia Univeristy / ASM Romagnat
McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens
Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC / Exeter Chiefs
Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia
Rori Wood (Sooke, BC) – College Rifles RFC / Ealing Trailfinders
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, ON) – University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing TrailfindersCANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM SOUTH AFRICA SQUAD
FORWARDS
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats
Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers
Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC / Gloucester-Hartpury
Holly Phillips (Canmore, AB) – Banff Bears / Calgary Irish / Bristol Bears
Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia Univeristy / ASM Romagnat
McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens
Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC / Exeter Chiefs
Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia
Rori Wood (Sooke, BC) – College Rifles RFC / Ealing Trailfinders
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, ON) – University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders
BACKS
Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens
Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, SK) – Kirin RFC / University of Victoria
Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Leicester Tigers
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens
Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia
Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB) – University of Victoria / Loughborough Lightning
Madison Grant (Cornwall, ON) – Cornwall Claymores
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau
Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs
MISSION: WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP
Rugby Canada has officially launched the Mission: Win the Rugby World Cup 2025 fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise $1,000,000 to provide Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team with extra resources to help them make history by winning the 2025 Rugby World Cup. With their sights set on a groundbreaking achievement this year in England, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team is currently ranked second in the World Rugby global rankings. For more information or to donate, visit rugby.ca/donate
-30-
About Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada is the national governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in Canada. They administer and operate Men’s and Women’s Senior and Junior National programs in both rugby 15s and 7s, as well as govern the Club and community game for more than 40,000 registered participants from coast to coast in conjunction with ten Provincial Union members.
Rugby Canada is headquartered at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC, with staff also working from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC Vancouver Sevens annual tournaments.