Sophie de Goede retakes captaincy as Canada unveil squad for WXV

Reigning World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year, Sophie de Goede, has been reinstalled as captain of Canada ahead of the WXV Global Series.

The 27-year-old goal-kicking forward has taken the captaincy back from Alexandra Tessier. Tessier took over the captaincy from De Goede after a long-term ACL injury kept her out of rugby for 13 months ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

Upon her return to the pitch, De Goede was talismanic for Canada as they reached the Allianz Stadium final, where they lost 33-13 to England’s Red Roses in a repeat of the 2014 final.

Tessier remains as a vice-captain, a position she holds alongside scrum-half duo Olivia Apps and Justine Pelletier.

In total, Canada head coach Kévin Rouet has included 36 players in his squad for WXV Global Series fixtures against Scotland, England and France this September.

He said: “It was important for us to assemble our strongest team. Because of our ‘One Squad’ philosophy, we had some players not available during PAC4 [Pacific Four Series] earlier this year because they were playing with the sevens team in Hong Kong [HSBC SVNS World Championship].

“This September and October we have all our players available. It will be good to have everyone in the same place for the next two months and we will still need to find a balance between staying competitive while also giving players the opportunity to develop and showcase themselves. Overall, everyone is just very happy to get back together again.”

There is a place in the squad for the vastly experienced Canada Women’s Sevens flyer Charity Williams. A veteran of three Olympics, Williams has won bronze and silver medals at the Games, but has not represented her country in Test rugby. Savannah Bauder, another regular feature in the Canada Women’s Sevens programme, is also named in a squad for the first time.

After impressing in the Canada age-grade teams, Emily Clark, Sophie McDonald and Faith Tilley are also included in Rouet’s squad and could earn their first caps in September.

Ahead of their WXV Global Series opener against Scotland, Canada will spend a week in Ireland. Funding for that seven day camp was received from the Canadian Rugby Foundation via the Monty Heald Senior Women’s Fund, which has donated $700,000 to the programme since it was founded.

Canada will host the Red Roses in Toronto and Ottawa upon the return leg of their WXV Global Series campaign in October. The two fixtures, branded ‘The Rugby Rematch Tour’ has already inspired immense interest, with ticket sales for the BMO Field clash in Toronto having already surpassed the record for a standalone women’s rugby union international in North America.

Canada WXV Global Series squad

Forwards
Brooke Rempel (Ariss, ON) – Loughborough Lightning / Ontario West / Brantford Harlequins
Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Ontario West / Guelph Goats
Cassandra Tuffnail (Heidelberg, ON) – Ealing Trailfinders
DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs / Calgary Hornets
Emily Clark (Mississauga, ON) – Montpellier / University of Guelph *
Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets
Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec
Faith Tilley (Halifax, NS) – University of Victoria*
Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Stade Bordelais / Castaway Wanderers
Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
Julia Omokhuale (Calgary, AB) – Saracens / Calgary Irish Rugby Club
Kiki Idowu (Toronto, ON) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds / Toronto Scottish
Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University
Lizzie Gibson (Caledon, ON) – Queen’s University / Oakville Crusaders
Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – Ealing Trailfinders / University of Ottawa
Mikiela Nelson (Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC
Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Loughborough Lightning / Ottawa Irish
Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds
Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Saracens / Castaway Wanderers
Sophie McDonald (Ottawa, ON) – Ontario East / University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club*
Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, ON) – Stade Bordelais / Ontario West / Aurora Barbarians

Backs
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – Saracens / CRFC
Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Exeter Chiefs / Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC
Aurora Bowie (Stouffville, ON) – University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club
Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Ealing Trailfinders / Aurora Barbarians
Corinne Frechette (Saint-Zéphirin-de-Courval, QC) – ASM Romagnat / Quebec East / Club de rugby de Québec
Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) – Markham Irish*
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Loughborough Lightning / Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC
Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds
Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Saracens / Lindsay RFC
Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec
Savannah Bauder (North Vancouver, BC) – UBC Thunderbirds / Capilano RFC*
Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau
Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders

*uncapped