Five Loughborough Lightning players have been named in Canada’s matchday squad for their World Cup Final rematch with the Red Roses this weekend.
Centre Flo Symonds moves to 20 caps for her country at Sandy Park on Saturday (kick-off: 3pm), while hooker Kiki Odowu and blindside flanker Rachel Smith earn their fifth and ninth caps respectively in the WXV Global Series encounter.
Tighthead prop Brooke Rempel and back row Pamphinette Buisa await their turn to impress as replacements. All five players featured in the Canucks’ comprehensive 26-64 victory over Scotland in Edinburgh last weekend.
Canada Head Coach Kevin Rouet said: “It’s always an exciting challenge to go against England. This is why you coach and play, to test yourself against the best. Playing England in England is never easy but this is the first of three opportunities we have to play against them, the next two will be in Canada so this week is another step in our journey to test ourselves and make sure we are ready to perform in Canada in front of our fans.”
CANADA TEAM TO FACE ENGLAND
15 Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Ealing Trailfinders / Aurora Barbarians (23 caps)
14 Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) - Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC (12 caps)
13 Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) - Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds (19 caps)
12 Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Exeter Chiefs / Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (69 caps)
11 Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) - Markham Irish (1 cap)
10 Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) - Oakville Crusaders (27 caps)
9 Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) - Saracens / Lindsay RFC (26 caps)
1 Mikiela Nelson (Vancouver, BC) - Capilano RFC (12 caps)
2 Kiki Idowu (Toronto, ON) - Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds / Toronto Scottish (4 caps)
3 DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs / Calgary Hornets (73 caps)
4 Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) - Saracens / Castaway Wanderers (45 caps)
5 Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University (26 caps)
6 Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds (8 caps)
7 Julia Omokhuale (Calgary, AB) – Saracens / Calgary Irish Rugby Club (10 caps)
8 Lizzie Gibson (Caledon, ON) – Queen’s University / Oakville Crusaders (3 caps)
Replacements:
16 Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (39 caps)
17 Sophie McDonald (Ottawa, ON) - Ontario East / University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club (1 cap)
18 Brooke Rempel (Ariss, ON) - Loughborough Lightning / Ontario West / Brantford Harlequins (3 caps)
19 Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec
20 Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Loughborough Lightning / Ottawa Irish (22 caps)
21 Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Stade Bordelais / Castaway Wanderers (44 caps)
22 Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec (47 caps)
23 Savannah Bauder (North Vancouver, BC) - UBC Thunderbirds / Capilano RFC (1 cap)
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