Canada take 50 to Vegas

The camp will have a particular focus on identifying the countrys best 7s players with a squad of 12 then being chosen to compete in Hong Kong in March.

The camp will be overseen by the recently appointed women's head coachJohn Tait. At the end of the camp, two squads will compete at the USA Women's International 7s tournament in Las Vegas and then a top squad of 12 will be chosen to travel to Hong Kong.

"We will use this camp to gauge were the majority of our athletes are in regards to skill level and conditioning," explained Tait. "With the camp preceding the tournament it will allow all of the athletes much needed Sevens experience and our top players to see how they currently measure up against key opponents."

The camp will be based in Nevada and will take part in fitness testing, individual skill assessment and development.

From there two teams will compete at the USA Women's International 7s tournament.

The whole effort leads to the selection of 12 athletes that will make up the Canada team at the Hong Kong 7s in March.

For Tait, the prospect of seeing his players for the first time since his appointment in November is exciting, especially with the 2016 Rio Olympic Games very much in the minds of the participating athletes.

"There is a distinct possibility this camp will include some of the women who will represent Canada and go for Gold in RIO 2016 Olympics which is exciting for me as a coach," he says. He also added "There will be Regional Talent Identification opportunities throughout April and May for those not attending this Camp, as we must leave no stone unturned in looking for talented athletes with potential to make Canada a force internationally in both Sevens and Fifteens in the years ahead."

The camp and tournament represents a huge undertaking for Manager of Women's Rugby, Kristy Martin Hale, who takes on the task as Sevens manager following a successful stint at the helm of the National Senior Women's Team at the Women's Rugby World Cup in England this past August.

"This is the largest assembly of potential national athletes that our Women's Program has conducted in years," she explains. "It will be an exciting opportunity to see representation from coast to coast, world cup athletes to current U20 athletes, both those with previous Sevens experience and those from a Fifteen-aside background.

"The logistics for international travel for a group this size have been complex, but everyone is eager for the opportunity to see and participate in Sevens first hand.

While some may question having the camp for a national team in the USA, in actual fact the cost of flights and accommodation were lower in a hub destination such as Las Vegas, than holding it anywhere in Canada. Throw in 20 C temperatures and sunny conditions and the ground work for a successful camp was laid.

Player/Home Province

Jocelyn Barrieau QUE

Laura Belvedere QUE

Natalie Bendavid ONT

Brittany Benn ONT

Tyson Beukeboom NS

Marie-Josee Blais QUE

Courtney Blum ONT

Andrea Burk BC

Shannon Court AB

Jessica Dovanne BC

Arielle Dubissette-Borrice ONT

Tara Eckert AB

Andrea Letal AB

Genevieve Gay YK

Megan Gibbs ONT

Magali Harvey NS

Megan Hamm BC

Susan Heald ONT

Alexandra Hendricks AB

Lori Josephson ONT

Michelle Joslin ONT

Shannon Kane BC

Jennifer Kish AB

Amanda Lalonde AB

Ghislaine Landry UK

Mandy Marchak UK

Caitlin McNally ONT

Evelyn McGunigal AB

Barbara Mervin BC

Kayla Moleschi BC

Jacey Murphy ONT

Brittany Orr AB

Ashley Patzer AB

Darcy Patterson BC

Cheryl Phillips ONT

Jocelyn Poirier ONT

Mirela Rahneva ONT

Kendra Reeves AB

Kelly Russell ONT

Laura Russell ONT

Laura Stoughton AB

Julia Sugawara BC

Amanda Thornborough NS

Natasha Turner ONT

Andrea Wadsworth ONT

Brittany Waters BC

Kelsey Willoughby AB

Charlotte Vallires Villeneuve QUE

Emily Young BC