(Langford, BC) – Twelve U SPORTS women’s rugby players, supported by Rugby Canada’s Maple Leaf Academy, will represent Canada at the 2024 FISU World University Rugby Sevens Championship, which will be played from June 10 to 12 in Aix-en-Provence, France.
In addition to Canada, this competition will also bring together Australia, France, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Poland and India. The matches will be played at Stade Maurice-David. The tournament will take place for the first time since 2018 and is the first time since 2016 that Canada will participate. Canada has won five medals at the FISU Women’s World University Rugby Sevens Championship, three gold (2004, 2006, 2014) and two silver (2008, 2016).
Before the FISU World University Championship, the team will compete in the EAAST 7s tournament, an elite-level international competition which will take place on 1er and June 2 in Haguenau, France, and which will also bring together development teams from Australia, New Zealand and France.
“This June, we have an exciting opportunity to see 12 U SPORTS players compete internationally, which will be a great experience for them as they continue to develop as high-performance players. and continue their journey to our senior national teams,” said Iain Monaghan, head coach of the Maple Leaf Academy. The EAAST 7s tournament is an opportunity to measure ourselves against the best nations as part of our preparation for the FISU World University Championship and we look forward to representing Canada in France in addition to seeing these players continue to progress and improve. push their limits. »
The Maple Leaf Academy kicked off its 2024 season in late March in Chula Vista, California, playing matches against the United States Women’s Development Rugby Sevens Team. These matches, along with the support of U SPORTS provincial rugby officials, were used in the selection process for the FISU World University Championship. Additionally, Monaghan and Jack Hanratty, head coach of the Canadian women’s sevens team, attended the 2024 National University Women’s Rugby Sevens Championship in March in Montreal as part of the identification and selection process.
Among the players named to the roster are two U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Player of the Year winners, Savannah Bauder (2023) and Lizzie Gibson (2022), while Larah Wright was named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in 2021. Bauder and Gibson are part of a group of five players who lined up with the Canadian women’s under-23 rugby team last summer, the three others being Emily Clark and Carmen Izyk.
Mahalia Robinson will bring her international senior experience to the team, having earned her first cap with the Canadian women’s rugby team in 2023 in a match against South Africa. Robinson is currently touring with the national team as part of the 2024 Pacific Four Series and played in Canada’s opening match, winning 50-7 against the United States.
Adia Pye also participated in an international rugby sevens competition last summer, being part of the Canadian under-18 team that won the silver medal at the Youth Games. Commonwealth 2023.
Joining Monaghan on the FISU World University Championship coaching staff will be assistant coach Darcy Patterson, who is an assistant coach at the University of British Columbia and has previously coached -leader of the Canadian team for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Rugby Canada and the Maple Leaf Academy would like to thank the players’ universities for their support as the team prepares for and competes at the FISU World University Championship as well as the EAAST 7s tournament.
More details on the 2024 FISU World University Rugby Sevens Championship, including results, can be found here. More details on the EAAST 7s tournament can be found here.
CANADIAN WOMEN’S RUGBY SEVENS TRAINING
FISU World University Championship 2024
Adia Pye (Victoria, BC) – University of British Columbia
Angie Olukunmi (Calgary, AB) – University of Calgary
Carmen Izyk (Blackie, AB) – Queen’s University
Lizzie Gibson (Caledon, ON) – Queen’s University
Emily Clark (Mississauga, ON) – University of Guelph
Emma Lajeunesse (Quebec, QC) – Laval University
Kennedy Feasby (Port Perry, ON) – University of Guelph
Larah Wright (Calgary, AB) – University of Victoria
Mahalia Robinson (Fulford, QC) – Concordia University
Olivia Sarabura (Guelph, ON) – University of British Columbia
Savannah Bauder (North Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia
Vanessa Chiappetta (Rigaud, QC) – Carleton University
