Nomad Laura Russell named as Canada’s captain
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“To be named as captain is a huge honour,” Russell said. “To represent these ladies as we head into the Super Series is an amazing feeling.”
Russell is one of 13 players who was in last year’s World Cup squad and while head coach Francois Ratier has a number of veterans on his team, he felt Russell fit the bill perfectly.
“We have strong leaders from the World Cup last year,” Ratier said. “It makes sense to pick Laura as she’s young and is the future of the team if you think long term. She’s also a leader and fits well into the role.
“She leads by example, we can trust her. That’s wonderful to have in a captain. She has a great relationship with the staff and we can talk about game plans.”
Canada will take the field for the first time since last year’s World Cup where they will square off against New Zealand, the USA and England over three game days in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton.
The 26-year-old will captain a squad that includes 14 players who have never been capped by Canada but she doesn’t see that as an issue as the team heads into its opening game.
“We have a number of vets on the team plus a number of new faces but we still have quite a lot of leaders that are coming back from the World Cup,” she said. “It’s a great mix. It’s great to have new players who are eager to learn and can jump in anywhere but have the vets lead the way and keep it calm and organized.”
For more information on the tournament, read the full Rugby Canada release.]]>