After the world watched Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team claim silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, rugby fans across the country will be glued to their screens as Canada’s women’s 15 team is set to compete in the upcoming WXV championship in Vancouver.
Held on Canadian soil for the first time, the national squad is set to compete against five of the world’s best teams – namely England, Ireland, France, New Zealand and the U.S. – starting on Sept. 29.
In preparation for the tournament, the team trained at Langford’s Starlight Stadium. Confident in their abilities, head coach Kévin Rouet said the team has everything needed to compete against the best.
“The team is very strong this year,” said Rouet. “We have the most athletic and fit people compared to other countries. We can play at a very high tempo for 80 minutes and that's not the case for a lot of teams.”
He noted that while England will be the team’s toughest rival, Ireland remains a force to be reckoned with.
In her debut as team captain, Tyson Beukeboom mentioned that everything is in place and ready for their first game against France at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.
“Everything is firing on all cylinders, which is nice, especially with such a short time together before the WXV, but everyone came in prepared and ready to go,” said Beukeboom.
Following their historic victory over New Zealand to clinch gold in last May’s Pacific Four Series, both Rouet and Beukeboom believe the team has what it takes to stand atop the podium, despite being the only amateur squad in the championship.
Beukeboom explained that while their opponents consist of professional players who make a living from the sport, the Canadian players are all amateurs, lacking a domestic league to play in. Despite this disadvantage, the Canadians have defied the odds and quickly established themselves as a global powerhouse.
Celebrating its second year, this novel tournament offers Rouet and Beukeboom an excellent opportunity to assess what lies ahead for the 2025 Rugby World Cup while sharpening their skills.
“The WXV is huge in building the women's game in general [and] is only going to make rugby itself better – which is amazing,” said Beukeboom. “We get more games, which we need as amateurs, especially if we're trying to compete against professional sides.
“Being able to have those games just allows us to be together more often, play at a high level, and overall just get better faster.”
Used to touring the world to compete, Beukeboom and her team welcomed this unique opportunity to play in their homeland.
“[Playing] in Canada is just unreal,” said the captain. “I think we went for about an eight-year stretch, not having any games in here. Just being able to play on home soil, have fans at home and getting to grow the game here is just so much fun. If anyone's around, come watch the game – I think it’ll be an exciting tournament."
For more information about the WXV championship or to buy tickets, visit world.rugby/wxv.
