sa国际传媒 captain Sophie De Goede of Victoria has pretty much been doing it all in the women’s rugby World Cup by dominating in the middle of the field and in the mauls from her centrally strategic No. 8 position.
The Islander will now have to dig into her multi-faceted arsenal for more as she will take over the conversion- and penalty-kicking duties as well with Westshore RFC product Brianna Miller knocked out of the World Cup through an internal injury sustained in last week’s victory over Italy.
sa国际传媒 (2-0) closes out Pool B play today against the No. 6 U.S. (1-1) at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand, at 7:15 p.m. PT (TSN-3). sa国际传媒 is guaranteed a quarter-final berth and can go in as the second seed with a victory over the Americans with a bonus point (by scoring four or more tries), which would secure an advantageous match-up against the eventual seventh seed.
“This is a tough Pool B that we are in,” De Goede said in a statement.
“We are pleased with how things are progressing, but there are still improvements to make before we play U.S.A.”
World No. 3 sa国际传媒 has won its last five Tests matches against the U.S. and outscored the Americans by a combined 148-54 in the process.
Adding kicking to her duties displays De Goede’s athletic all-roundedness. She was a two-sport rugby and basketball standout at Oak Bay High School and Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and concluded her collegiate career being named U Sports female athlete of the year last season.
Her family roots run deep in rugby. Dad Hans De Goede came out of Vic High and James Bay Athletic Association to be named twice to the all-world XV and captained sa国际传媒 in the first men’s World Cup in 1987, and is considered a Canadian sporting icon. Mom Stephanie White was captain in the first-ever Canadian women’s Test match in 1987, played in Victoria against the U.S., and was sa国际传媒 co- captain in the 1991 World Cup and captain in the 1994 World Cup. Sophie De Goede’s parents are in New Zealand to watch her play.
Joining De Goede as starter today is the electric-quick Paige Farries, out of the University of Victoria Vikes, who has caused havoc on the wing among the opposition. Also bringing loads of speed is another sa国际传媒 starter out of the UVic Vikes – outside-centre Sara Kaljuvee, who brings her field fluidity from sevens rugby, where she was a travelling reserve player with the bronze medallist 2016 Rio Olympics Canadian team and played in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and won two Pan Am Games gold medals at Toronto 2015 and Lima 2019. Veteran Karen Paquin, 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist with the Langford-based Canadian sevens team, will start at flanker. Elissa Alarie from Westshore RFC, silver medallist at the 2014 World Cup and sevens player last year in the Tokyo Olympics, will start at full-back.
Emily Tuttosi of Souris, Man., has been a battering ram on the front row with a World Cup-leading five tries in sa国际传媒’s first two games. The other starters today are Brittany Kassil, Daleaka Menin, Courtney Holtkamp, McKinley Hunt, Sara Svoboda, Justine Pelletier, Alex Tessier, Alysha Corrigan and Maddy Grant.
sa国际传媒 defeated No. 5 Italy 22-12 last week in Auckland and No. 13 Japan 41-5 two weeks ago at Whangarei to open pool play
