Canadian Women’s Rugby Union returns to action after two-year layoff

“It’s been a long time coming.” said Fiorino. “We haven’t spent a lot of time together, but that’s kind of the reality of COVID.

“The good news is that a lot of players over the past 18 months have found a way to replay rugby abroad (or) at U-Sports.”

These players went largely to England and France to practice club rugby.

The Canadians will face the United States again next Friday at the same venue before heading to Great Britain to face No.1 England at Twickenham Stoop in London on November 14 and No.11 Wales on November 21 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Veteran striker Laura Russell can win her 50th cap on tour while Alex Tessier, DaLeaka Menin, Emily Belchos de Goede and Karen Paquin are looking for their 30th cap. Uncapped players include Julia Schell, Laetitia Royer, Sarah Maude Lachance, Nakisa Levale and Renee Gonzalez.

The Canada-U.S. Matches are part of the Pacific Four Series, a new women’s competition that will fully launch next year with four teams competing.

Fiorino sees the game against England as “a place where we check our benchmarks and see where we are”.

England held onto the top spot on Sunday with a 43-12 victory over second-placed New Zealand. The match, in front of 9,748 spectators at Sandy Park in Exeter, was the Black Ferns’ 100th career test – and the first since a 47-10 victory over Australia on August 10, 2019 at Eden Park in Auckland.

New Zealand won 89 of those 100, starting with their first sanctioned test match – a 24-8 victory over Canada in the 1991 World Cup. The Black Ferns won five World Cups to two for the England.

England and New Zealand will meet next Sunday at Franklin Gardens in Northampton.

While New Zealand was limited to home games and games against the barbarian New Zealand side, Sunday marked England’s eighth test since the pandemic struck. The Red Roses have taken all eight wins and haven’t lost since July 2019, when they were beaten 28-13 by New Zealand in the Women’s Rugby Super Series in San Diego.

“Canada has been hit the hardest,” Fiorino said of the pandemic’s effects on sport.

“We really started to see some traction in July and August when the provincial programs started to be operational, the university programs are operational,” he added. “There is a breakdown of players who have been abroad. But those who have been domestic workers – these are the same people who are teachers, people who work in office jobs, moms. They did not have the opportunity to train alone or in small groups.

Given this, the matches against England and Wales will be a real challenge.

“The expectations are that the players and the staff have done a lot of good work,” said Fiorino. “There is always the unknown because you just don’t know where your preparation is. But what’s heartwarming is that we know we have 10, 11 months to prepare for the World Cup. And this is where you have the opportunity to see where you are at, to see what you’ve been working on. There is an understanding that you will improve yourself every day.

“Losing 18 months of rugby, you can’t control that,” he added. “We did everything we could. That’s why they call it tests, because you have to see where you are.

Fiorino and his team have built a virtual training environment for his players during the pandemic.

The Canadians have never finished below sixth at the World Cup and were second in 2014 when beaten 21-9 by England. Canada placed fourth in 1998, 2002 and 2006 when it hosted the tournament, and was last fifth in 2017.

Canada’s Women’s Matches List

Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, NB, Halifax Tars RFC and Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, MB, Exeter Chiefs (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alberta, Exeter Chiefs (England); Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alberta, Red Deer Titans; Emma Taylor, Scotsburn, NS, HRFC; Janna Slevinsky, St. Albert, Alberta, Calgary Saracens and Saracens (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec, Que., Quebec Rugby Club, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Castaway Wanders; Brianna Miller, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, RFC de Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue; Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Quebec, RFC Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue; Sabrina Poulin, St-Georges, Que., TMRRFC and Stade Rennais (France); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Scottish from Toronto; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alberta, Westshore RFC and Worcester Warriors (England); Renée Gonzalez, Toronto, RFC Westshore; Emily Belchos de Goede, Innisfil, Ont., RFC Westshore.

Substitutes

Gillian Boag, Calgary, Capilano RFC; Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Redcoats; Alex Ellis, Ottawa, Barrhaven Scottish and Saracens (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Cowichan RFC; Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers RFC; Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que., Quebec Rugby Club and Stade Bordelais (France); Nakisa Levale, Abbotsford, BC, Abbotsford RFC; Sarah-Maude Lachance, Victoriaville, Que., Club de Rugby de Québec and Lons Section Paloise Rugby Féminin (France).