Canada's Kelly Russell runs in foor a try as Great Britain's Katy McLean attaempts to tackle her during the bronze medal match in women's rugby sevens at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug. 8, 2016. Bolstered by four high-profile additions from the sevens program, Canada takes on Ireland in a women's rugby test match Saturday. No. 8 Kelly Russell returns to her 15s role as captain while fellow sevens alumni Karen Paquin, Magali Harvey and Elissa Alarie are also part of coach Francois Ratier's starting lineup at Dublin's CD Bowl. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canadian women’s rugby team scores seven tries in 48-7 rout of Ireland

DUBLIN – Canada’s senior women’s rugby team kicked off its November tour on Saturday with a 48-7 rout of sixth-ranked Ireland.

Julianne Zussman ran in two tries for Canada and Andrea Burk kicked 13 points. DaLeaka Menin, Karen Paquin, Emily Belchos, Laura Russell and Magali Harvey had Canada’s other tries at Dublin’s UCD Bowl.

“We are pleased to win against Ireland,” said head coach Francois Ratier. “There is still some room for improvement but I think we were able to maintain the continuity with our forwards and make sure that when we passed to the backs we had a clear option to score.”

Third-ranked Canada dominated the first half, taking a 24-0 lead into the break.

Nikki Caughey had the lone try for Ireland.

“The score does not reflect how tough it was,” said Canada forward Latoya Blackwood. “I think we performed well. We had a week to prepare and that really helped.”

Canada returns to action Wednesday against top-ranked New Zealand in Dublin and will play England on Nov. 26 in Twickenham.

News from © The Canadian Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

Related Articles