Tuttosi and Menin line-up for Canada

By Mark Stevens
16/10/22

Canada's Women's Rugby Team will face Italy in their second pool game of the Rugby World Cup this Sunday at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.

Canada claimed a 41-5 bonus-point victory against Japan in their opening game of the tournament and sit top of Pool B heading into Saturday's clash against second-placed Italy, with only points difference separating the two teams after round one.

Headlining Kevin Rouet's selection is the return of former Exeter Chiefs loosehead prop Olivia DeMarchant, who will become just the seventh Canadian Women's player to represent her country on 50 occasions when she takes to the field in Auckland at her third Rugby World Cup.

DeMarchant will pack down in the front-row alongside Chiefs duo DaLeaka Menin and Emily Tuttosi, the latter of whom scored a hat-trick of tries in their opening game win against Japan.

Rouet said: “It's great for us to have the ability to rotate in a couple of players who will bring good impact to the team. Italy will present a different challenge this week but again for us it's about focusing on building into the tournament and what we can do on the field.”

CANADA'S WOMEN'S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs ITALY

1. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC

2. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs

3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs

4. Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans

5. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC

6. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Quebec Rugby Club

7. Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning

8. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC

9. Brianna Miller (Pointe-Claire, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC

10. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers

11. Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Worcester Warriors

12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC

13. Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) – Toronto Scottish

14. Maddy Grant (Cornwall, ON) – University of Ottawa

15. Elissa Alarie (Trois-Rivieres, QC) – Westshore RFC

16. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC

17.Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph, ON

18. Alex Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens

19. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Exeter Chiefs

20. Emma Taylor (Scotsburn, NS) – HRFC

21. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC – Quebec Rugby Club / Stade Bordelais Lionesses

22. Justine Pelletier (Riviere-du-Loup, QC) – Riviere-du-Loup, QC

23. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC/Saracens