Canada coach Kevin Rouet has made six changes to his starting lineup for Saturday's game against Wales at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Five of the changes are in the forward pack with wing Asia Hogan-Rochester slotting into the backline.
The second-ranked Canadians ran in 11 tries in dispatching No. 14 Fiji 65-7 in their tournament opener Saturday in York. Wales, meanwhile, dropped one rung in the rankings to No. 10 after losing 38-8 to No. 6 Scotland.
Saturday's game is at Salford Community Stadium in Manchester, the site of Wales' first match.
Rouet has chosen an entirely new front row of McKinley Hunt, Emily Tuttosi and DaLeaka Menin with Brittany Kassil, Gillian Boag and Olivia DeMerchant shifting to the bench.
There is little drop in experience with Hunt, Tuttosi and Menin going into the game with a combined 133 caps compared to 140 for Kassil, Boag and DeMerchant.
Veteran Tyson Beukeboom will tie the retired Aaron Carpenter as Canada's most-capped Canadian rugby player when she earns her 80th cap. Beukeboom slots in for Courtney O'Donnell in the second row while Karen Paquin, like Beukeboom in her fourth World Cup, replaces Fabiola Forteza at open-side flanker.
"Our mindset coming into this World Cup was to take it game by game, so now we are focused on Wales and preparing for how they will challenge us on the pitch,” Rouet said in a statement. “It was great to start with such a strong performance against Fiji last week, but as a team, we must shift our mindset to Wales. The squad is excited to get back out there a test ourselves again against another quality opponent.”
Hogan-Rochester makes her World Cup debut, starting in place of Fancy Bermudez, who had to leave the Fiji game with an injury. Fly half Claire Gallagher could also make her tournament debut off the bench.
The rest of the backline is unchanged with scrum half Justine Pelletier, fly half Taylor Perry, wing Alysha Corrigan, centres Alex Tessier and Flo Symonds, and fullback Julia Schell.
Schell's six tries against Fiji, all scored in the second half (in the 50th, 53rd, 54th, 61st, 69th and 72nd minute), were the most by a Canadian in a Rugby World Cup match.
Canada's starting 15 goes into Saturday's match with a combined 509 caps, with another 284 on the bench. Against Wales, those numbers were 486 and 293 caps, respectively.
The Canadian women were perfect in set pieces, winning all five scrums and eight lineouts against the outmatched Pacific Islanders.
Wales has made seven changes with flanker Bethan Lewis, winning her 60th cap, leading out the team for the first time, with co-captains Alex Callender and Kate Williams both injured.
Canada has won seven straight meetings with the Welsh since a 16-11 loss in May 2006 and leads the overall series 10-2-2.
“We have taken a hard look at ourselves and there have been honest conversations about the performance we need against one of the best teams in the world," said Wales coach Sean Lynn. “Canada are the No. 2 team in the world and one of the favourites to win the World Cup and we know they will be a major challenge.
“We need to bring real energy and pride in the jersey, and the focus all week has been on us and what we need to do to produce a performance on Saturday. There have been changes and they have been made because players have earned the opportunity in training to play in a World Cup. All 23 players selected have been told to be brave and to have no regrets when they walk off the field on Saturday."
Canada wraps up Pool B play Sept. 6 against Scotland in Exeter. The top two teams from each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals, where No. 6 Australia likely awaits the Canadians.
The Canadian women have won six straight and are unbeaten in eight games (7-0-1) this year since losing 21-12 to top-ranked England in XVV play in October in Vancouver.
Canada's best showing at the World Cup came in 2014 when it finished runner-up to England. The Canadians finished fourth last time out, losing 36-0 to France in the third-place game after falling 26-19 to England in the semifinal.
Canada also finished fourth in 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Canada Roster
McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Mas., Exeter Chiefs (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., (England); Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Saracens (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Justine Pelletier, Riviere-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England); Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Ont., Westshore RFC; Alex Tessier (capt.), Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders, (England).
Replacements
Gillian Boag, Calgary, Capilano RFC; Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, N.B., Halifax Tars RFC; Courtney O'Donnell, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
