Two X-Women rugby players are heading to Florida this weekend as members of the Canadian national U20 team. Jessica Jacobs and Amanda Thornborough recently completed their rookie season with the 12-time AUS champion X-Women rugby squad this summer and have been invited to take part in the US tour with team Canada.

The U20 team will play the United States U20 team in a single game in Tampa Bay, Florida. Both Jacobs and Thornborough joined the U20 team in 2009 and this will be their second tour with the team. The US previously defeated Canada at the Nations Cup last summer in England.

Center Amanda Thornborough (Brandon, MB) enjoyed a successful first season with the X-Women, finishing fifth overall in AUS scoring with 35 points (7 trys) on the season. She earned recognition as the AUS Rookie of the Year and was an AUS all-star. Jessica Jacobs (Caledon, ON) also played well for the X-Women this season as a starter in her freshman year at the hooker/flanker position.

StFX teammates Tyson Beukeboom and Asya Bartley were also asked to go on the tour with Team Canada and are on the national roster. However, Beukeboom is currently playing with the X-Women hockey team and Bartley was unable to make the trip at this time of the year.

X-Women head coach Mike Cavanagh comments, “It is great to see these young ladies representing their country and I am sure it will be a really good experience for them. By having four players invited for a national team tour, it speaks well to the strong program we have here at StFX as we continue to attract the best players from across the country.”

Thornborough and Jacobs will be in Florida for competition on January 16th and 17th. For more information on the Canadian U20 national team, visit www.rugbycanada.ca.

StFX Sports Information