Canada coach Kevin Rouet has made three changes to his starting 15 for Saturday’s quarterfinal against seventh-ranked Australia at the Rugby World Cup in England.
Courtney O’Donnell starts in the second row and Caroline Crossley slots into the back row at blindside flanker, shifting Fabiola Forteza to No. 8. Tyson Beukeboom and Gabby Senft drop to the bench.
Alysha Corrigan, who started Canada’s first two games of the tournament, replaces Paige Farries on the wing.
Rouet has a 6-2 forward-backs split on the bench with Olivia Apps and Shoshanah Seumanutafa the lone backs.
Second-ranked Canada finished atop Pool B after wins over No. 13 Fiji (65-7), No. 12 Wales (42-0) and No. 6 Scotland (40-19).
The Wallaroos finished second in Pool A behind No. 1 England, defeating No. 15 Samoa 73-0 and tying the eighth-ranked U.S. 31-31 before losing 47-7 to the Red Roses.
鈥淥ur goal coming into the World Cup was to finish on top of our pool and we did that,” Rouet said in a statement. “Now we have to shift our mindset to do-or-die rugby. We know what we are capable of as a team on the pitch and you can see how the team has been building through the first three games.
“The preparation this week has been about continuing to refine our skills and the details in our game so we can put together a performance to be proud of.鈥澛
Canada’s starting 15 goes into the match with a combined 518 caps with captain Alex Tessier, prop DaLeaka Menin and O’Donnell accounting for 179 of them. The eight-woman bench has a combined 330 caps, with lock Tyson Beukeboom looking to add to her Canadian-record 81 caps.
Canada is 7-0-0 all-time against Australia and won 45-7 the last time they met, in May in Brisbane in Pacific Four Series play. Each of those victories have been by 12 points or more.
“We鈥檙e a much different team from the start of the year and much more capable of taking on those bigger teams than the public think we are,” said Australian backrower Tabua Tuinakauvadra.
Saturday’s game is at the 27,000-capacity Ashton Gate Stadium, home to soccer’s Bristol City and rugby’s Bristol Bears.
The Canada-Australia winner will face either No. 3 New Zealand or No. 10 South Africa in the Sept. 19 semifinal, also in Bristol.
Canada Roster
McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Saracens (England); Courtney O’Donnell, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Justine Pelletier, Rivi猫re-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England); Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, 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; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., Saracens (England); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025
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