[(IRB.COM) Thursday 6 March 2008] ĄG
Heather Moyse was one of the stars of the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2006
Heather Moyse, the leading point and try scorer at the Women's Rugby World Cup 2006, has been named in Canada's squad for the Hong Kong Women's Rugby Sevens from
27-28 March.
Moyse is not the only one from Canada's squad selected by coach Natascha Wesch for Hong to have also played in that Women's RWC on home soil as Mandy Marchak and Maria Gallo helped the host nation finish fourth in Edmonton.
The 10 players selected by Wesch form part of a wider 24-strong group who are in contention to represent Canada at the first ever Rugby World Cup Sevens women's competition in Dubai from 5-7 March 2009 - providing they safely negotiate the regional qualifier later this year.
"These 24 athletes will have the opportunity to fight for a chance to attend the World Cup by competing either at the Hong Kong Sevens in March or the Amsterdam Sevens in May," Wesch said.
Canada have been drawn in Pool D with Singapore and the Arabian Gulf. The top seeds for the tournament are the USA, who beat their neighbours 19-5 in the final of women's event at last month's USA Sevens in San Diego.
Fijiana withdraw but look to the future
The other teams participating in the Hong Kong Women's Sevens are the host nation, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, France, China, Japan, and Thailand. Fijiana were due to play in Hong Kong for the first time since the inaugural women's event in 1997, but withdrew earlier this week.
"Of course, we are all disappointed because we were really looking forward to the opportunity to take part in a premier tournament like Hong Kong, and all the women's teams have been training hard for the past two months," said Fiji Women's Rugby Union President Vela Naucukidi.
"In fact, because of the Hong Kong 7s invitation, the interest in women's rugby had grown tremendously with more than 10 women's teams entering the Marist 7s in Suva. But we just have to remain positive and focus on the World Cup qualifiers in Samoa in July.
"We look forward to continued assistance from the Fiji Rugby Union as we build up towards it."
Canada squad:
Kelly Russell, Maria Gallo, Mandy Marchak, Laura Stoughton, Meghan Mutrie, Tanja Ness, Cheryl Phillips, Tara Eckert, Jill Harris, Heather Moyse.
Non-travelling reserves: Jocelyn Barrieau, Heather Jaques, Brittany Waters.
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