A rare home game for the Canadian women's rugby team could be a record-breaker Saturday.
Rugby Canada expects the test match against world champion New Zealand to draw a crowd of more than 7,500 to Ottawa's TD Place, which will be the largest audience for an international women’s 15s contest in Canada.
The fourth-ranked Canadians face No. 2 New Zealand on Saturday and No. 5 Australia on July 14, also at TD Place, in the World Rugby Pacific Four Series. The seventh-ranked Americans take on Australia and New Zealand, respectively, in the other half of the doubleheaders.
"For most of us this is uncharted territory," said Canada captain Sophie de Goede, who had never played at home for the senior side until last summer. "We might have played a test (match) at home … but this is the first time hosting a major tournament like this in quite a while (since the 2015 Women's Rugby Super Series in Alberta). And also the opportunity to play the world champion.
"So there's a lot on the line for sure."
Unfortunately injury will keep Maddy Grant from playing before friends and family this weekend. A native of Cornwall, some 100 kilometres southeast of the capital, the 22-year-old forward-turned-back with 14 caps for Canada had expected a sizable cheering section at TD Place.
"It's always so special playing on home soil," said Grant, who left Cornwall in 2017 after Grade 10 to train in B.C. while living with a billet family,
Only two of the Canadian women's last 46 test matches have been on home soil — with 2022 World Cup warmup games last July in Langford, B.C., (a 34-24 win over Italy) and in August in Halifax (a 31-3 win over Wales).
Rugby Canada says it is working with World Rugby, the sport's international governing body, to boost the number of home tests.
De Goede, who has 22 caps, welcomes the games in a post-World Cup year, usually a fallow time for fixtures.
She grew up in the Victoria area but is no stranger to Ontario, having attended Queen's University in Kingston where she played both rugby and basketball. Her parents — Hans de Goede and Stephanie White, both former Canada rugby captains — are coming out from B.C. to attend the Ottawa matches.
Rugby Canada has done its best to ensure a good turnout in Ottawa. Tickets are $20 and the governing body ran a promotion offering a free child’s ticket with the purchase of a ticket for an accompanying parent or adult for the game against the Black Ferns.
Canada downed the U.S. 50-17 in the Pacific Four Series tournament opener April 1 in Madrid. The Canadians beat No. 13 South Africa 66-7 in a March 25 warmup, also in Madrid, in their opening match of 2023.
The top three teams after the Ottawa matches will join No. 1 England, No. 3 France and No. 6 Wales — the top three finishers in this year's Women's Six Nations — in the inaugural edition of WXV 1, World Rugby’s new annual global 15s competition.
New Zealand will host the top tier of the new tournament starting Oct. 21.
The fourth-ranked Pacific Four team will compete in WXV 2 in October in South Africa with the third-tier WXV 3 running at the same time elsewhere.
The New Zealand women arrive in Canada on a 13-match winning streak, thumping Australia 50-0 on June 29 at Brisbane's Kayo Stadium in their Pacific Four opener.
It was New Zealand's first outing since defeating England 34-31 in November in the World Cup final in Auckland. And it was a new-look team with coach Allan Bunting, the former Black Ferns sevens coach, selecting a team featuring six players who started the final along with six debutantes.
The Canadian women finished fourth at the World Cup after pushing England to the limit in a 26-19 semifinal loss before being blanked 36-0 by France in the bronze-medal game.
De Goede took a break from rugby after the World Cup to recover from some lingering Achilles tendinitis, spending some of the time in Halifax with her partner, fellow Canadian international Emma Taylor.
Having already played in England for Saracens, she plans to play overseas again ahead of the 2025 World Cup in England.
Other players with local ties include forward Alexandria Ellis, who comes from Ottawa and played for both Barrhaven Scottish Rugby Football Club and the University of Ottawa. Claire Gallagher, a back, also played for the Gee-Gees.
Olivia DeMerchant earns her 55th cap, tying Maria Gallo for third all-time among Canadian women. Fellow prop DaLeaka Menin will tie Julia Sugawara for seventh place with 46 caps.
Florence Symonds will make her international 15s debut on the wing. Fellow Canada sevens player Olivia Apps could also earn her first cap off the bench, along with Gallagher.
Canada Starting 15
Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, N.B., Halifax Tars RFC; Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man,., Calgary Hornets/Exeter Chiefs (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Cowichan RFC; Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Castaway Wanderers/Exeter Chiefs (England); Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec/Stade Bordelais (France); Sophie de Goede (capt)., Victoria, Castaway Wanderers RFC; Justine Pelletier (vice-capt.), Riviere-du-Loup, Que., Club de rugby de Quebec/Stade Bordelais (France); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Guelph Redcoats/Castaway Wanderers; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Westshore RFC/Worcester Warriors (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Toronto Scottish/Westshore RFC; Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Nor’Wester Athletic Association/Westshore RFC; Florence Symonds, Hong Kong, UBC; Sabrina Poulin, St-Georges, Que., TMRRFC/Eibar Rugby Taldea (Spain).
Replacements
Gillian Boag, Calgary, Capilano RFC; McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Aurora Barbarians; Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Barrhaven Scottish/Saracens (England); Emma Taylor, Scotsburn, N.S., Halifax RFC; Sara Svoboda, Belleville, Ont., Belleville Bulldogs/Loughborough Lightning (England); Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Aurora Barbarians/University of Ottawa; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., UBC.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
