USA to host four team test series
This year's North American summer women's rugby test series will take place in July in Salt Lake City, USA, and will include England, France and Canada as well as hosts the United States.
Published by John Birch, April 11th, 2016
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It will be the best of North America against the best of Europe in July, with the top two teams from this year's Six Nations travelling to the USA to take on the United States and Canada, games to be played on on 1, 5 and 9 July.
England Coach Scott Bemand said the tournament will form an integral part of England Women’s preparation to retain the World Cup in September 2017. "The focus of the tour is really starting to gear towards the World Cup defence," he said.
Taking place a month before the Olympics it will also be the last chance for the young players who have been playing XVs to make their mark before the competition for places hots up in the lead up to the World Cup next year, as Bemand acknowledges: "Post tour the Sevens girls will be competing in the Rio Olympics and hoping to medal there. Next autumn we will have a full squad of players available to pick from and competition for places is going to be fierce.”
Nominating players to watch for the future Bemand said the younger members of his squad had showed great potential during the Six Nations. "A lot of the younger players have now become integral to the squad that will go on to try to defend the World Cup next year," he said. "At 19-years-old, Amy Cockayne is mixing it with the best and has a huge amount of potential to come alongside girls such as Lotte Clapp on the wing. Her development from her first cap in the autumn against France to that championship decider has been phenomenal. These girls are worthy of their place and worthy of being in the squad to contend the retention of the World Cup.”
England will also be playing at least three tests this Autumn, with games against Canada, Ireland and France confirmed while other games are being sought.