LANGFORD — Alexandra Tessier will captain Canada's second-ranked squad when the 2025 Rugby World Cup kicks off in England.
Rugby Canada announced Thursday its 32-player roster for the elite women's rugby tournament.
Tessier, a nominee for World Rugby Player of the Year in 2024, is set to earn her 59th cap for Canada.
She has scored six tries and 53 points over her 10-year international career that includes World Cup appearances in 2017 and 2021 (played in 2022).
Twenty-one players from the 2021 Rugby World Cup team have been named to head coach Kevin Rouet's squad, including veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant and Karen Paquin. All three will represent Canada at the Rugby World Cup for a fourth time.
Sophie de Goede, a member of the World Rugby Women's Dream Team in 2022 and 2024, was named to her second World Cup squad. She came off the bench in a 33-5 win over South Africa earlier this month after a 13-month injury absence.
Emily Tuttosi will play in her second Rugby World Cup. She led Canada with six tries at the World Cup in 2022, landing her a spot on that year's Dream Team.
"Selecting the World Cup squad forced the coaching staff to make some very difficult decisions," Rouet said in a release. "Since the last World Cup, our focus has been on building depth in the squad, so we had more than just 32 players who could step on the field and perform at any moment.
"We achieved our goal but as a result it meant needing to make some very challenging decisions."
Six players who helped Canada to silver in sevens competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics are also on the squad: Caroline Crossley, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds, Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester and Taylor Perry.
Canada is in Pool B with Fiji, Wales and Scotland. It opens its tournament Aug. 23 against Fiji in York.
Before leaving for England, Canada will face the ninth-ranked United States on Aug. 1 at TD Place in Ottawa. They will play a final tuneup against No. 5 Ireland on Aug. 9 in Dublin.
The Canadians finished fourth at the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand. They have gone 14-5-1 since.
Canada's best finish was runner-up to England at the 2014 event in France.
Canada's 2025 Rugby World Cup squad:
FORWARDS
Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, Ont.), Cowichan Piggies/Aurora Barbarians/Ealing Trailfinders; Gillian Boag (Calgary), Capilano RFC/Gloucester-Hartpury; Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, Que.), Ottawa Irish; Caroline Crossley (Victoria), Castaway Wanderers; Sophie de Goede (Victoria), Castaway Wanderers/Saracens; Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, N.B.), Halifax Tars RFC; Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City), Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais; McKinley Hunt (King City, Ont.), Aurora Barbarians/Saracens; Brittany Kassil (Guelph, Ont.), Guelph Goats; Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, Ont.), University of Guelph/Aurora Barbarians; DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, Alta.), Calgary Hornets/Exeter Chiefs; Maya Montiel (Dieppe, N.B.), Saracens; Mikiela Nelson (North Vancouver, B.C.), Capilano RFC/Exeter Chiefs; Courtney O'Donnell (Rimbey, Alta.), Red Deer Titans Rugby; Karen Paquin (Quebec City), Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, Que.), St-Anne-de-Bellevue/Concordia University/Saracens; Gabrielle Senft (Regina), Castaway Wanderers/Saracens; Rachel Smith (South Surrey, B.C.), University of British Columbia; Emily Tuttosi (Souris, Man.), Calgary Hornets/Exeter Chiefs
BACKS
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, Ont.), Lindsay RFC; Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton), Nor’Westers Athletic Association/Westshore RFC/Saracens; Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown), CRFC/Saracens; Paige Farries (Red Deer, Alta.), Saracens; Claire Gallagher (Caledon, Ont.), Aurora Barbarians/Ealing Trailfinders; Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto), Toronto Nomads/Westshore RFC; Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, Que.), Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais; Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, Que.), Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais; Taylor Perry (Oakville, Ont.), Oakville Crusaders/Exeter Chiefs; Julia Schell (Uxbridge, Ont.), Guelph Goats/Castaway Wanderers/Ealing Trailfinders; Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, B.C.), Counties Manukau; Florence Symonds (Vancouver), University of British Columbia; Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que.), Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC Exeter Chiefs
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
The Canadian Press
