Six X-Women participate in Rugby Canada training camp

Six members of the 2012 CIS champion X-Women rugby team participated in Rugby Canada’s Women’s Fifteens selection camp this past week in Vancouver. The camp was hosted at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island and featured hopefuls trying to make team Canada for the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup in France.

Attending from StFX were CIS All-Canadians Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON), Amanda Thornborough (Brandon, MB) and Magali Harvey (Quebec City), as well as Asya Bartley (Ottawa, ON), Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS), and Olivia DeMerchant (Woodstock, NB). Lisa Gauthier (St. Bernadin, ON) was invited to participate but was unable to attend due to injury. 

The training camp wrapped up this past Thursday with an inter-squad game which gave all the athletes a chance to showcase their skills.

The complete story from Rugby Canada follows.

SELECTION GAME CONCLUDES WOMEN'S CAMP

On the sixth and final day of the Women’s Fifteens Selection Camp at Shawnigan Lake School, Canada’s Rugby World Cup hopefuls took to the field in an inter-squad game.

Canada Black, coached by Colette McCauley, squared off against Canada Blue, who was lead by Sandro Fiorino. With the remainder of the Rugby Canada Women’s coaching staff looking on intently from the viewing deck, the game was an opportunity for the athletes to put their name forward for further team selections and to showcase skills developed through the camp.

After an opening few minutes where both sides traded knock-ons, Canada Blue struck first when Barbara Mervin made a break and offloaded to Magali Harvey who used her world-class speed on the outside to score in the left corner. Tyson Buekeboom helped further Team Blue’s lead shortly after to 10-0 when she broke the line and created momentum for her side before Saskatchewan’s Kayla Mack touched down for the score.

Canada Sevens and Fifteens veteran, Cheryl Phillips began the first scoring phase for Team Black when she broke through would-be tacklers and after being tackled the ball found its way to Megan Gibbs who dove over the line. Team Black tied the game at 10-10 on the whistle to end the first quarter as Andrea Burk made a line-break and the ball found Latoya Blackwood and then to Laura Russell who touched down.

The second quarter opened with great intensity from both sides before Team Blue’s Beukeboom scored and Harvey added the conversion to take a 17-10 lead. Team Black would rally and, after a missed penalty goal from Harvey, Arielle Dubissette-Borrice broke tackles near the 50-metre line and had an incredible run before offloading to Ghislaine Landry, who tied the game 17-17 on the half-time whistle.

After continued pressure from Team Black to open the third quarter, Russell scored her second of the game to lead 24-17. Continuing her solid play, Russell completed the hat trick shortly after and Burk’s conversion gave Black a 31-17 advantage.

The final 20-minute frame saw Team Black score from Gibbs’ second of the game and Ghislaine Landry after an incredible 65-metre run. Team Blue added one more try from Quebec’s Brianna Miller.

Final Score: Team Black 43 – 22 Team Blue

Francois Ratier – Head Coach, Canada’s Women’s Fifteens Team

“They played well and that’s what we were expecting in terms of volume of play. We wanted to play a very skilled game as much as possible because it gives us a chance to see who’s fit and who has the skills to play at this level.

“For me this camp was about getting to know the players and their styles of play and after this week I can name every player here and I’ve gotten to know their character, which is important. They are all good players and they have skills that look sharp and others that we can work on.

“It was a very intense camp this week, but in a positive way. The Tight-Five part early in the week set the tone for whole week: their commitment, their work ethic and the atmosphere was great and when the rest of the team jumped in it was easy.

“Looking forward to Nations Cup this summer I think we’re in a good spot and the team selection is going to be difficult because we have a great group of players. We will perform strong at the Nations Cup.”

Laura Russell

“Overall, both teams played competitively during today’s game. This camp was huge for us for preparing for Nations Cup and having the ability to get together with the ‘Tight-Five’ before was phenomenal to have that training experience.

“Francois has talked to each of us about preparing for Nations Cup and the ‘Tight-Five’ have been provided with programs and everything that we need to move forward and we’ll be working with our provincial unions and national coaches to ensure that we’re ready.”

Canada Women’s Fifteens Camp Roster:

Elissa Alarie, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Rugby Club) Trois Rivieres, QC
Asya Bartley, (Barrhaven RFC) Ottawa, ON
Caitlin Beaton, (Fergus Highland RFC) Clavering, ON
Steph Bernier, Quebec
Tyson Beukeboom, (Aurora Barbarians) Uxbridge, Ontario
Latoya Blackwood, (St. Anne de Bellevue) Montreal, QC
Andrea Burk, (Capilano RFC) North Vancouver, BC
Samantha Crandall, (Calgary Hornets) Calgary, AB
Olivia DeMerchant, (Woodstock Wildmen) Mapledale, NB
Kim Donaldson, (Burnaby Lake Rugby Club) Toronto, ON
Jessica Dovanne, (Velox Rugby Club) Victoria, BC
Arielle Dubissette-Borrice, (Toronto Scottish RFC) Toronto, ON
Bianca Farella, (Town of Mount Royal RFC) Montreal, QC
Megan Gibbs, (Markham Irish) Barrie, ON
Julia Greenshield, (Sarnia Saints RFC) Sarnia, ON
Magali Harvey, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Mary-Jane Kirby, (Highland RFC) Brampton, ON
Ghislaine Landry, (Toronto Scottish RFC) Toronto, ON
Morgan Linthwaite, (Fergus Highland RFC) Guelph, ON
Megan Lowry, Ontario
Kayla Mack, (Wild Oats RFC) Saskatoon, SK
Mandy Marchak, (Capilano RFC) Winnipeg, MB
Katie McNally, Ontario
Barbara Mervin, (Velox RFC) Peterborough, ON
Brianna Miller, (St. Anne De Bellevue RFC) Pointe-Claire, XX
Kayla Moleschi, (Williams Lake Rustlers) Williams Lake, BC
Heather Moyse, Summerside, PEI
Jacey Murphy, (Aurora Barbarians) Alliston, ON
Karen Paquin, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Claragh Pegg, (Kingston Panthers RFC) Barrie, ON
Cheryl Philips, (Toronto Scottish RFC) Scarborough, ON
Frederique Rajotte, (Markham Irish RFC) Markham, ON
M.P. Pinault-Reid, (Club de Rugby Quebec) Quebec City, QC
Kelly Russell, (Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON
Laura Russell, (Toronto Nomads) Bolton, ON
Maria Samson, (Calgary Hornets) Calgary, AB
Ashley Steacy, (Lethbridge Rugby Club) Lethbridge, AB
Caroline Suchorksi, Quebec
Julia Sugawara, British Columbia
Emma Taylor, (Halifax Rugby Football Club) Halifax, NS
Amanda Thornborough, (Brandon Barbarians RFC) Brandon, MB
Brittany Waters, (Meraloma Athletic Club) Vancouver, BC
Kelsey Willoughby, (Lethbridge Rugby Club) Lethbridge, AB
Julianne Zussman, (Town of Mount Royal RFC) Montreal, QC