USA Canada series confirmed

The two games take place on April 15 and 19with the first game at Shawnigan Lake School, and the latter at Canadian Rugby Centre of Excellence in Langford.

The games revive one of women's rugby's oldest series, which began in 1987 and was played almost annually until 2010 - the last series also being played across two tests at Shawnigan and Langford, Canada winning 2-0. Since then the two sides have met three times, but all in wider tournaments including the 2010 World Cup (where the USA stole fifth place with a 23-20 win) and the 2011 and 2013 Nations Cups (with Canada winning in Ontario in 2011, but losing in Colorado last summer despite going on to win the tournament).

Having not played on home soil since 2011, the two-game ‘Can-Am’ series will be an opportunity to showcase women’s rugby in Canada ahead of the World Cup.

For Canada it kick starts a thorough warm-up programme ahead of the World Cup which also includes games against New Zealand and Australia while USA are likely to play England in early summer.

“It’s exciting for us to play in front of our friends, family and supporters and we always have close games against the USA so it should be a great series,” said Kelly Russell, captain of Canada.

The Canadian squad will include players - such as Russell - from the centrailised Women’s Sevens team, with the series timetabled to take place between the fourth and fifth rounds of the Women's Sevens World Series, and the first test taking place just nine days after the Guangzhou Sevens.

“2014 is a busy and exciting year for Rugby Canada’s Women’s Fifteens Team and we’re looking forward to the competition that the USA will bring and the opportunity to play in Canada,” said Francois Ratier, head coach of Canada.

The entire CAN-AM Series will be streamed LIVE from Shawnigan Lake School and Westhills Stadium in Langford.After the series, the sevens squad will return to training before the fifith and final WSWS series in Amsterdam in May before reuniting with their fifteens colleagues for a tour of New Zealand in June. The Canadian announcement includes the dates of their three matches on that tour, though the venues have yet to be confirmed:

CAN AM SERIES

CANADA VS. USAApril 15, 2014Shawnigan Lake School, Mill Bay, BCStreamed LIVEKickoff 3:30pm PTCANADA VS. USAApril 19, 2014Westhills Stadium, Langford, BCStreamed LIVEKickoff TBDCANADA IN NEW ZEALAND

June 6th v AustraliaJune 10th v New ZealandJune 14th v New ZealandAustralia are also due to play New Zealand in the same series - dates and venues also to be announced