Tuesday, 1th November 2011Canadian Dev Team Selected for DHL NACRA 7s
Canadian Maple Leafs name dev team for 2011 DHL NACRA 7s
As the four year cycle approaches for the 2016 Olympics and the first inclusion of Sevens rugby at the Rio de Janeiro games, development of the sport in Canada is already well under way. The players that have been selected for this tournament have been identified at this summer's U20 Nations Cup, U-18 National Championship and this fall's CIS university season.
Canada will be sending a women's development team to the NACRA (North American Caribbean Rugby Association) Sevens tournament in Barbados November 12th and 13th, 2011.
Coach Sandro Fiorino along with the team manager John Tait have named a diverse side that will include some first time sevens players in the mix.
"This is a great tournament to introduce the players to international sevens," said Fiorino from Rugby Canada's Richmond Hill Ontario office. "You can learn a lot by looking at players on their University team - but put them against the best athletes from another country and that is another test all together. With our first IRB 7's event in Dubai for the senior women's sevens team in December - the Barbados event is a crucial component to trying players out that might fit into long term plans for the program."
The Maple Leafs team is in Pool B - with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Other teams the Canadians might face in play-off cross over include Guyana, St. Lucia, Mexico, USA South and Barbados.
One athlete of great interest is the CIS's 60m all-time sprint champion record holder and 3-time gold medalist, Laval's Geneviève Thibault. This fall, Thibault made the adjustment from the track to the rugby pitch, where she had a five try performance as a winger against Bishops University in a 107-0 win over their conference rivals. Thibault hit for three tries in the first half to help her team to a 69-0 first half lead.
A quartet of Canadian U20 players features into the squad as well - with Jess Harvey (Crescent, ON), Charlene Mocon (Mississauga, ON), Belleville's Cindy Nelles along with Ottawa's Lisa Gauthier will all compete at the tournament.
Bolstering the side from the senior ranks include accomplished 15s players Cheryl Phillips (Toronto, ON) and Laura Russell (Bolton, ON). Gizelle Panton (Toronto, ON), Lori Josephson (Beaverton, ON) , and Julia Greenshields (Sarnia, ON) are players getting first time international exposure on the tour.
NSWT 7's program would like to acknowledge the support of National 7s sponsor Macquarie for their ongoing support.
Traveling Squad
Player (Club) (University) Hometown
Lisa Gauthier (Ottawa Irish) (St Francis Xavier) St. Bernadin, ON
Julia Greenshields (Sarnia Saints) (U of Western) Sarnia, ON
Jess Harvey (Barrhaven Scottish) (Carleton University) Ottawa, ON
Lori Josephson (Aurora Barbarians) (U of Western) Beaverton, ON
Charlene Mocon (Mississauga Blues) Mississauga, ON
Cindy Nelles (Belleville Bulldogs) (McMaster U) Belleville, ON
Gizelle Panton (Toronto Scottish) (York U) Toronto, ON
Geneviève Thibault (Quebec) (Laval U) Quebec City, PQ
Cheryl Phillips (Toronto Scottish) (York U) Toronto, ON
Laura Russell (Toronto Nomads) (U of Western) Bolton, ON
Non Traveling Reserves
Emily Belchos (Toronto Irish) Barrie, ON
Karla Telidetzki (Edmonton Leprechaun Tigers) (U of Toronto) Edmonton, AB
Kayla Mack (Saskatoon Wild Oats) (U of Saskatchewan) Saskatoon, SK
Management
Head Coach: Sandro Fiorino
Assistant Coach / Team Manager: John Tait
Athletic Therapist: Jason White
