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IRB NAWIRA Info Page – week of October 3rd, 2008<br />
INFORMATION PAGE<br />
Week of October 3 rd , 2008<br />
1 RWC Sevens Qualifier, Bahamas – Canada and USA women primed<br />
From an IRB press release<br />
Maria Gallo will captain <strong>Canada's</strong> women at<br />
the RWC Sevens qualifier in the Bahamas<br />
Canada Women’s Sevens coach Natascha<br />
Wesch has charged her players with winning<br />
the NAWIRA [North America West Indies<br />
<strong>Rugby</strong> Association] regional qualifier for <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
World Cup Sevens 2009, which takes place in<br />
the Bahamas on 25-26 October.<br />
Wesch knows that being ranked North America<br />
1 should result in a high seeding for the first<br />
ever women’s <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup Sevens<br />
competition in Dubai next March, boosting their<br />
chances of avoiding other regional winners England and Australia in the pool<br />
stages.<br />
Maria Gallo, a veteran of Canada’s squad at the Women’s <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup on<br />
home soil in 2006, will captain their Sevens team for the qualifier in Nassau with<br />
the likes of Brittany Waters, Ashley Patzer and Cheryl Phillips providing a turn of<br />
pace.<br />
“Our main objective is to reach the NAWIRA final in Nassau,” admitted Wesch.<br />
“Second objective is to win the tournament to get the best seed possible at the<br />
World Cup Sevens.<br />
“Based on our performance at last year’s NAWIRA event and our performances<br />
in Hong Kong and Amsterdam earlier this year, in addition to the fact that we<br />
have had a year of additional prep time, I am confident we can achieve our<br />
goals of getting to the NAWIRA final and finishing first.”<br />
Main challengers close to home<br />
The biggest challenge to Wesch’s hopes for Canadian success in the NAWIRA<br />
qualifier, which runs alongside the men’s tournament, will be the USA, who<br />
2008 Copyright © International <strong>Rugby</strong> Board 2008<br />
081002 TJ IRB NAWIRA Info Page – week of October 3rd 2008 Page 1 of 2
IRB NAWIRA Info Page – week of October 3rd, 2008<br />
named their squad on Tuesday following a skills and fitness camp over the<br />
weekend.<br />
USA are no strangers to beating Canada, having done so 21-7 to win the Cable<br />
& Wireless Hong Kong Women’s <strong>Rugby</strong> Sevens back in March, and coach Julie<br />
McCoy insists her players are rising to the challenge of securing one of two<br />
NAWIRA tickets to Dubai.<br />
“We are working hard together on the principles of Sevens, practising the<br />
fundamentals and adding pressure to the group,” explained McCoy. “So far the<br />
athletes are showing great mental strength and responding to the challenge with<br />
great maturity and poise.”<br />
Christy Ringgenberg has been named captain of the USA squad, which features<br />
the likes of Ellie Karvoski, Phaidra Knight and Pam Kosanke who played for the<br />
Women’s Eagles at the last Women’s <strong>Rugby</strong> World Cup in 2006.<br />
Canada Women’s Sevens squad:<br />
Nat Bendavid (Aurora Barbarians), Marie-Josee Blais (Town of Mount Royal), Rosie Cobbett<br />
(Burnaby Lake), Maria Gallo (Leprechaun Tigers, captain), Genevieve Gay (Bayside), Brooke<br />
Hilditch (York Yeomen), Mandy Marchak (Capilano), Ashley Patzer (Lethbridge), Cheryl Phillips<br />
(Toronto Scottish), Kelly Russell (Toronto Nomads), Laura Stoughton (Calgary Irish), Brittany<br />
Waters (Meraloma Athletic Club).<br />
Reserves: Jill Harris (Edmonton Rockers), Tanja Ness (Lindsay), Tara Eckert (Calgary Irish),<br />
Meaghan Mutrie (Johnsonville).<br />
USA Women’s Sevens squad:<br />
Kirsten Ahrendt (Keystone RFC), Ida Bernstein (Keystone RFC), Ellie Karvoski (Little Rock<br />
RFC), Phaidra Knight (New York RFC), Pam Kosanke (Chicago North Shore RFC), Teena<br />
Mastrangelo (Chicago North Shore RFC), Christy Ringgenberg (Minnesota Valkyries RFC), Ines<br />
Rodriguez (Keystone RFC), Jen Sinkler (Keystone RFC), Lindsey Stephenson, Jess Watkins<br />
(Stanford University), Kelly White (Belmont Shore RFC).<br />
Reserves: Tyshawn Henry (New York RFC), Melissa McKibben (Kansas City RFC)<br />
2008 Copyright © International <strong>Rugby</strong> Board 2008<br />
081002 TJ IRB NAWIRA Info Page – week of October 3rd 2008 Page 2 of 2