After 13 months of painstaking rehab, Sophie De Goede will rejoin the Canadian roster, dressed as a reserve, for Saturday’s Test against South Africa.
It’s a long and gruelling road back from an ACL tear, the injury that athletes most dread because they know it will cost them up to one year or more of their careers.
Canadian captain Sophie De Goede of Victoria, the Oak Bay High graduate considered one of the best female rugby players in the world, tore her anterior cruciate ligament in training last summer and had to miss the Paris Olympic Games.
After 13 months of painstaking rehab, the Islander will rejoin the Canadian roster, dressed as a reserve, for Saturday’s Test against South Africa at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Langford-based Rugby Canada knows the days are growing fewer before Canada’s opening game of the 2025 women’s World Cup next month in England. That is the impetus for world No. 2 Canada’s tour of South Africa, which began last week with the 50-20 victory over the No. 12 Springboks at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
“One of the main purposes of this tour was to make sure all 32 players got valuable playing experience and to give them the opportunity to showcase themselves on the field,” Canada head coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. It was a tough encounter in altitude last weekend. It’s now time to keep growing and gaining experience with our next game. You’ll see that there are a lot of changes to our team compared to last week but this tour was about building our depth and confidence ahead of the World Cup.
“I am excited to see how this group performs this week.”
Drawing in as starters on Saturday are University of Victoria Vikes star player Carissa Norsten and former UVic star Krissy Scurfield, both 2024 Olympic silver medallists in sevens last summer in Paris. Former UVic star and 2020 Tokyo Olympian Pamphinette Buisa will also start. Caroline Crossley of Victoria, a Paris Olympics silver medallist in sevens and a standout in Canada’s win over South Africa last week, will sit this one out. Rori Wood of Sooke will dress in reserve.
Following the Test in Port Elizabeth, Canada has two more preparatory Tests before the World Cup — against the U.S. on Aug. 1 at TD Place in Ottawa and Aug. 9 in Belfast against Northern Ireland.
Canada will open the 2025 World Cup in England against No. 15 Fiji on Aug. 23 at York Stadium, with its other Pool B games on Aug. 30 against No. 10 Wales at Salford Stadium in Greater Manchester and No. 7 Scotland on Sept. 6 at Sandy Park in Exeter.
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