Canada Women’s Sevens coach Natascha Wesch has charged her players with winning the NAWIRA [North America West Indies Rugby Association] regional qualifier for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009, which takes place in the Bahamas on 25-26 October.
Wesch knows that being ranked North America 1 should result in a high seeding for the first ever women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens competition in Dubai next March, boosting their chances of avoiding other regional winners England and Australia in the pool stages.
Maria Gallo, a veteran of Canada’s squad at the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil in 2006, will captain their Sevens team for the qualifier in Nassau with the likes of Brittany Waters, Ashley Patzer and Cheryl Phillips providing a turn of pace.
“Our main objective is to reach the NAWIRA final in Nassau,” admitted Wesch. “Second objective is to win the tournament to get the best seed possible at the World Cup Sevens.
“Based on our performance at last year’s NAWIRA event and our performances in Hong Kong and Amsterdam earlier this year, in addition to the fact that we have had a year of additional prep time, I am confident we can achieve our goals of getting to the NAWIRA final and finishing first.”
Main challengers close to home
The biggest challenge to Wesch’s hopes for Canadian success in the NAWIRA qualifier, which runs alongside the men’s tournament, will be the USA, who named their squad on Tuesday following a skills and fitness camp over the weekend.
USA are no strangers to beating Canada, having done so 21-7 to win the Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens back in March, and coach Julie McCoy insists her players are rising to the challenge of securing one of two NAWIRA tickets to Dubai.
“We are working hard together on the principles of Sevens, practising the fundamentals and adding pressure to the group,” explained McCoy. “So far the athletes are showing great mental strength and responding to the challenge with great maturity and poise.”
Christy Ringgenberg has been named captain of the USA squad, which features the likes of Ellie Karvoski, Phaidra Knight and Pam Kosanke who played for the Women’s Eagles at the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2006.
Canada Women’s Sevens squad:
Nat Bendavid (Aurora Barbarians), Marie-Josee Blais (Town of Mount Royal), Rosie Cobbett (Burnaby Lake), Maria Gallo (Leprechaun Tigers, captain), Genevieve Gay (Bayside), Brooke Hilditch (York Yeomen), Mandy Marchak (Capilano), Ashley Patzer (Lethbridge), Cheryl Phillips (Toronto Scottish), Kelly Russell (Toronto Nomads), Laura Stoughton (Calgary Irish), Brittany Waters (Meraloma Athletic Club).
Reserves: Jill Harris (Edmonton Rockers), Tanja Ness (Lindsay), Tara Eckert (Calgary Irish), Meaghan Mutrie (Johnsonville).
USA Women’s Sevens squad:
Kirsten Ahrendt (Keystone RFC), Ida Bernstein (Keystone RFC), Ellie Karvoski (Little Rock RFC), Phaidra Knight (New York RFC), Pam Kosanke (Chicago North Shore RFC), Teena Mastrangelo (Chicago North Shore RFC), Christy Ringgenberg (Minnesota Valkyries RFC), Ines Rodriguez (Keystone RFC), Jen Sinkler (Keystone RFC), Lindsey Stephenson, Jess Watkins (Stanford University), Kelly White (Belmont Shore RFC).
Reserves: Tyshawn Henry (New York RFC), Melissa McKibben (Kansas City RFC)
