Rugby Canada Pacific Four Series: Looking to build on 2022

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Rugby Canada Team Huddle Including Paige Farries, Who Is Part of the Rugby Canada Pacific Four Series Roster

The Rugby Canada Pacific Four Series has already started on April 1 at Estadio Nacional Complutense. In that game, the Canadians came away as the 50-17 winners over the U.S. in women’s rugby in Madrid, Spain.

Canada will now play their other two opponents New Zealand and Australia at TD Place Stadium in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. Only one game is not taking place in Ottawa. The other one will be Australia hosting New Zealand at Kayo Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on Thursday at 5:00 AM ET (7:00 PM AEST) for the Laurie O’Reilly Cup.

Rugby Canada Pacific Four Series scheduled for Ottawa

For the first time since 2015, Canada will host a major women’s test series. And Rugby Canada women’s head coach Kevin Rouet told World Rugby: “I am very excited for the opportunity to play against New Zealand and Australia on home soil in Ottawa this July.

“As a team, we have enjoyed some recent success with our win over the USA in Spain earlier this month and look forward to the chance to test ourselves against two of the best teams in the world. This programme has a bright future and these games in Ottawa represent a significant step forward as we begin our journey to Rugby World Cup 2025.

“These games offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase our sport to all the women and girls in the country. Myself and all the players can’t wait to show Canadians what this team can do.”

Canadian women – World Rugby ranking 4th

There are some notable players on the roster. First off is Exeter Chiefs hooker, Emily Tuttosi, who is known for her strength and ability to score tries for her team. The Souris, Manitoba native, led the team with six tries and 30 points. Another player with a stand-out performance in the Rugby World Cup is a wing player of the University of Worcester Warriors, Paige Farries. She scored four tries for her team Canada. She also scored key tries in home victories over Wales and Italy, which bodes well for the two games remaining in Ottawa.

There is then, of course, Sophie de Goede, who has many different strengths and is seen as Rugby Canada’s captain and best player. In the 2022 Pacific Four Series, de Goede won two Player of the Match Games, including one against the Australian Wallaroos. De Goede plays the No. 8 position for Canada and previously played for the Saracens.

READ MORE: 2022 Rugby Canada women’s team review: The nation made proud

The team also looks solid after winning against USA Rugby in convincing fashion back on April 1 in the U.S.

USA Eagles women – WR ranking 7th

Exeter Chiefs back row, Kate Zackary, is a player Canadians are probably familiar with. The captain of the 2021 Rugby World Cup squad, will also be captain of this Pacific Four series team. She in fact already captained the U.S., in their first game of the Pacific Four Series game against Canada. She has made 28 appearances for the team since 2016 and has been one of the main faces of USA Rugby right now.

Another player, also for the Exeter Chiefs, Hope Rogers, as a prop, is also part of the team and was part of that Rugby World Cup team. USA Rugby will feel motivated after what happened last year in the Rugby World Cup, finishing in seventh place, their worst-ever finish in a Women’s Rugby World Cup (source: Daniel Gallan of Rugby Pass):

“It was difficult to take,” Zackary says of her team’s seventh-place finish, their worst-ever result at the World Cup. “As captain, you shoulder some responsibility for what happens out there. It becomes more difficult when I know just how much talent we have in the group. I know that we’re better than that. But some things work against us.”

The head-to-head with Rugby Canada has been kind to the 1991 Rugby World Cup champions. Since the Pacific Four Series last year, USA Rugby faced Rugby Canada four times, with the U.S. losing all four times (lost the last six times overall). This included two games in the 2021 Rugby World Cup, which included a game where Canada eliminated USA Rugby from the Rugby World Cup. The last time the U.S. defeated Canada in competitive play was in 2019, when the U.S. won by two points on July 10, 2019, in San Diego.

New Zealand Black Ferns – WR ranking 2nd

The Black Ferns, the defending Rugby World Cup champions and also the defending Pacific Four Series champions, will look to defend their title as they play in both Australia and Canada. One known player on the squad is centre, Amy du Plessis. The South African-born Black Ferns player was a member of the 2021 Rugby World Cup championship squad. Interestingly enough, Du Plessis made her debut for New Zealand against Rugby Canada in last year’s Pacific Four Series game.

This is what Du Plessis said after winning the 2021 Rugby World Cup last year (source: Martin Devlin of The Platform NZ): “Yeah. I mean there was obviously challenges were on a high for you know a few weeks post um Rugby World Cup, but I think we allowed ourselves to feel those feelings and just enjoy and embrace you know was such an amazing experience.”

One player to watch is Tenika Willison, the 25-year-old has yet to be capped by the New Zealand team. Willison currently plays for the Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. She is a veteran of the New Zealand seven’s team, playing with that national team since 2016. Her biggest accomplishment was winning gold in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo with the Black Ferns sevens team.

Australia Wallaroos – WR ranking 5th

A player to note is fullback and wing player of the NSW Waratahs, Lori Cramer in the Super W competition. She has made several appearances for the Australian side, including in the 2021 Rugby World Cup. She had an excellent game in the Rugby World Cup against Scotland last year, who scored the game-winning conversion, but Nathan Williamson of the Rugby Xplorer explains her impact on that win over Scotland:

“Whilst the conversions will receive all the glory, it’s Cramer’s defence that kept Australia in the contest.”

From a Canadian perspective, she will be a player to watch when Australia faces Canada early next month. Another player to watch is Ivania Wong, another player who played in the 2021 Rugby World Cup. The Wing player for the Wallaroos played her first game against Fiji on May 6, 2022. She is also in form as she scored the last try against Fiji on May 20, 2023.

Australia has never beaten Canada in competitive play. The last time these two teams met, Canada overcome a strong Wallaroos start to win the game 22-10.

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Pacific Four Series 2023 preview

 

It will be a tall task to win the Pacific Four Series whenever New Zealand is involved. However, anything can happen in one game. Also, Rugby Canada will be playing their remaining two games in the nation’s capital, Ottawa. The Canadian women will have the home crowd to their advantage when they face both Australia and critically New Zealand.

Rugby Canada face New Zealand on June 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET, before finishing off their Pacific Four Series set of games against Australia on July 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Where it will be televised is unknown right now [as the last year’s games were shown nationally on TSN].

Whoever finishes in the top three of the Pacific Four Series following the final round of action at TD Place will take their place in the top tier of WXV when it kicks off later this year. Those teams will be joined by the top three teams in the Women’s Six Nations 2023 for the first two editions of the new annual global tournament.

 

Photo Credit: Rugby Canada Facebook Page on August 5, 2022.

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