Captain Sophie de Goede rejoins Canada rugby team after yearlong injury layoff
Captain Sophie de Goede, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament a year ago, will rejoin the Canada women's rugby team ahead of the team's upcoming tour to South Africa.
Despite the injury, the 25-year-old backrower from Victoria was named to World Rugby's Women's 15s Dream Team of 2024, along with fellow Canadians Claire Tessier and Laetitia Royer.
De Goede's return is timely with the second-ranked Canadian women preparing for the Rugby World Cup, which runs Aug. 22 to Sept. 27 in England.
Canada coach Kevin Rouet has invited de Goede and 37 other players to a training camp that runs Friday through June 27 in Perth, Ont. Thirty-two will then be chosen for the trip to South Africa and games against the 12th-ranked Springbok women on July 5 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria and July 12 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
Madison Grant, Paige Farries and Pamphinette Buisa also return from injury, while Carissa Norsten, the 2024 HSBC SVNS Women's Rookie of the Year and a member of Canada's silver-medal squad at the Paris Olympics, earns her first call-up to the senior 15s.
The training camp roster includes 33 members of the squad that came second at the Pacific Four Series in May after wins over the ninth-ranked U.S. (26-14) and No. 6 Australia (45-7) and a 27-27 tie with No. 3 New Zealand.
The Canadians, who won the Pacific Four Series last year with their first-ever win over New Zealand, finished runner-up to the Black Ferns this year on points differential.
'We are looking forward to reconvening as a group after a short break following the Pacific Four Series,' Rouet said in a statement. 'This training camp and the matches against South Africa are important components in our on- and off-field preparation for the Rugby World Cup.
'We will continue to refine our gameplay as we spend some valuable training hours together.'
Canada will face No. 7 Scotland, No. 10 Wales and No. 15 Fiji in Group B play at the World Cup.
After the South Africa tour, Canada plays the U.S. on Aug. 1 in Ottawa and No. 5 Ireland on Aug. 9 in Dublin. The Canadian women open the World Cup against Fiji on Aug. 23 in York.
The Canadian women have finished fourth four times at the World Cup, most recently in 2022. Canada was runner-up to England in 2014.
Canada is 12-5-1 since the last World Cup. Four of the losses were to top-ranked England, with the other to New Zealand.
Canada Training Camp Roster
Forwards
Alysia Comtois, Magog, Que., University of Ottawa; Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Cassandra Tuffnail, Heidelberg, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Courtney O'Donnell, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Holly Phillips, Canmore, Alta., Bristol Bears (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt. King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Mikiela Nelson, North Vancouver, Exeter Chiefs (England); Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, N.B., Halifax Tars RFC; Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rachel Smith, South Surrey, B.C., UBC; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Saracens (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England).
Backs
AlexTessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Westshore RFC; Carissa Norsten, Waldheim, Sask., University of Victoria; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Krissy Scurfield, Canmore, Alta., Loughborough Lightning (England).
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025
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Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
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Article content The last time he was in B.C. Place, Niko Sigur was a wide-eyed ball boy, watching Jonathan David and the Canadian men's national team thump French Guiana 4-1 in Nations League qualifying. Article content Tuesday night, the Burnaby native was on the receiving end of a give and go with the star Canadian striker, scoring his first goal for the Reds in a 6-0 domination of Honduras. It was Canada's opening match in the Gold Cup tournament, which will continue for them next week in Houston. Article content Article content It was the sixth cap for the 21-year-old, who had dozens of friends and family who were part of the 24,286 in the stands at B.C. Place. He'd said Friday he wasn't just here to soak up the experience. He wanted to contribute. Article content GOAL 🇨🇦 NIKO SIGUR SCORES HIS FIRST FOR THE #CANMNT 😎 Canada go up 1-0 over Honduras with a smooth give-and-go, finished perfectly 💪 🔴 Watch Gold Cup on OneSoccer & TSN — OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 18, 2025 Article content Article content Article content When he was that ballboy watching play in 2019, he wasn't just soaking up the experience. He was judging, assessing, comparing, and pondering if he had the technical ability to play at that level on this day. Article content Article content 'I always knew in the back of my mind that I could play there one day, and here I am,' said the utility back, who held down the right side of Canada's back line on Tuesday. Article content 'I'm not really happy just being here and being a part of it. I want to contribute, and I know I can contribute. It's nice to be here, but I also want to make an impact and help the team.' Article content For Sigur, it's been a long and winding road to the national team. From the Whitecaps academy, to York University, to a stint with the League One Vaughn Azzuri in Ontario, he moved to Slovenia, playing for Radomlje's youth team, eventually transferring to the academy of Croatia's Hajduk Split in 2022. By 2023, he'd played his way onto the first team. A year later, the Croatian-Canadian dual citizen switched his national team allegiance to Canada.
