'Difficult decisions': World Cup contenders reveal their squad
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Ranked second in the world, Canada’s 32-player squad for the World Cup 2025, kicking off next month in England, has been named by head coach Kevin Rouet.
The captain of the team in England will be the 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year nominee, Alexandra Tessier. She has earned 59 caps for Canada, scoring six tries and 53 points over her ten-year international career that includes representing Canada at the World Cup in 2017 and 2021 (played in 2022).
Twenty-one players return from the 2021World Cup team, including veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant and Karen Paquin, who will all represent Canada at the World Cup for a fourth time.
Sophie de Goede, named to the 2022 and 2024 World Rugby Dream Team, will compete in her second World Cup. De Goede made her long-awaited return to the Canadian lineup earlier this month in South Africa, her first time back on the field in over a year following a significant knee injury.
Canada’s leading try-scorer at the last World Cup, with six, Emily Tuttosi, will play in her second World Cup. Tuttosi’s performance earned her a spot on the 2022 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year.
With Rugby Canada’s “One Squad” philosophy on full display, seven players who won a silver medal with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics have been selected: Caroline Crossley, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds, Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry.
The 2025 World Cup will be the first for 11 players, including Rachel Smith, Taylor McKnight, Claire Gallagher, Shoshanah Seumanutafa, Laetitia Royer and Maya Montiel.
“We believe in the group we have selected and we believe in the process we have taken to get to this point, but the work isn’t done yet,” said Rouet.
“It all starts next month in England when we enter the next stage of our World Cup journey and officially get on the field in that first match against Fiji.”
He added: “Selecting the World Cup squad forced the coaching staff to make some very difficult decisions.
“Since the last World Cup, our focus has been on building depth in the squad, so we have more than just 32 players who could step on the field and perform at any moment. We achieved our goal, but as a result, it meant needing to make some very challenging decisions.”
Prior to the team departing, Canada will compete in its final home match at TD Place in Ottawa on Friday, August 1 versus the USA.
The match aims to surpass a new attendance record for a women’s rugby match in North America that was previously set at the stadium in 2023.
At the World Cup in England, Canada will compete in Pool B alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji.
Their first match will be against Fiji at the York Community Stadium in York on Saturday, August 23.
Canada 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
Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – 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
Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University / Saracens
Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – Saracens
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
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
Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC
Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders
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
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Saracens
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau
Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs
TEAM STAFF
Head Coach – Kevin Rouet
Assistant Coach – Alex Austerberry, Carolyn McEwen, Conor Twomey, David Butcher, Iain Monaghan, Jocelyn Barrieau, Martial Lagain
Team Manager – Dustin Hopkins
Strength & Conditioning – Clarence Gay, Travis Dorsey
Analyst – Stacey Maskelyne, Richard Owen
Team Doctor – Anthony Dixon, Adam Pyle
Physiotherapist – Allison Rodway, Amelie Michaud
Media – Braedan Willis, Jordan Jones
