By Silvia Recchimuzzi
(Reuters) – North America blazed the trail in women’s rugby but the United States and Canada go into the ninth edition of the World Cup in New Zealand this week more in hope than expectation of landing the title.
The U.S. Eagles won the inaugural World Cup in Wales in 1991 and reached the final of the next two editions but have lost five of their seven tests this year, including heavy defeats to both England and New Zealand, to drop to sixth in the world.
Third-ranked Canada look in better shape, having beaten their American neighbours 36-5 in the Pacific Four series in June and notching up victories over Australia, Italy and Wales this year.
Both teams will be confident of reaching the quarter-finals from Pool B, which also includes fifth-ranked Italy and Japan, the 13th best team in the world.
The problem will come in the latter stages of the knockout rounds as England, New Zealand and France have looked a cut above the rest since women’s test rugby resumed after the global health crisis.
Canada coach Kevin Rouet, however, said he had confidence that his side can bridge the gap and improve on their runners-up finish behind England in 2014. “We head to New Zealand with a desire and belief that we can compete for the Rugby World Cup trophy, the first in Canada’s history,” he said when announcing his squad.
Sophie de Goede, who will skipper the team from the back of the scrum, plays her first World Cup but has considerable rugby pedigree as the daughter of players who both captained Canada at global showpieces.
U.S. coach Rob Cain has brought plenty of fresh faces into the Eagles programme since he took over in 2018 and only nine out of the 32 players in his squad took part in the last World Cup in 2017.
“We’ve got some exciting young talent (which) is really driving things alongside the more experienced players,” the Englishman said last month.
“Lots of learning, lots of development these last couple of years, learning what the game looks like, understanding where we are, and learning how we can bridge the gap.”
Prop Hope Rogers, who like many of the American players has moved to England in search of more playing opportunities in the Premier 15s league, will be appearing at her third World Cup after finishing sixth in 2014 and fourth in 2017.
With the United States hosting the World Cup in 2033, Rogers said she was looking to extend the legacy of team work and comradery to the younger players.
“It is about leaving the jersey better than you found it, so being able to pass it on to some of our young bucks (in their) first World Cup is just really exciting,” she said.
“USA rugby is growing and I want those people coming after me to have that same feeling of wanting to work for it, wanting to make it better.”
(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdansk, additional writing by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
