Canada are the last of the five competing nations to announce their squad:
Alex Tessier, SABRFC (Sainte-clotilde-de-Horton, QC)
Alysha Corrigan, CRFC (Charlottetown, PEI)
Amanda Thornborough, Westshore RFC (Brandon, MB)
Anaïs Holly, TMR RFC, (Montreal, QC)
Brianna Miller, Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue (Point-Claire, QC)
Courtney Holtkamp, Red Deer Titans (Rimbey, AB)
DaLeaka Menin, Calgary Hornets (Vulcan, AB)
Elissa Alarie, Ste-Anne-De-Bellevue RFC/Westshore RFC (Trois Rivieres, QC)
Fabiola Forteza, Club de Rugby de Quebec (Quebec Cuty, QC)
Gabrielle Senft, Castaway Wanderers (Regina, SK)
Gillian Boag, Capilano/UBC (Calgary, AB)
Irene Patrinos, Toronto Saracens (Mississauga, ON)
Jacey Grusnick, Barrhaven Scottish (Alliston, ON)
Janna Slevinsky, Kingston Panthers (St. Albert, AB)
Laura Russell, Toronto Nomads (Bolton, ON) (Captain)
Lori Josephson, Guelph Redcoats, (Beaverton, ON)
Marie Thibault, CRQ (Quebec City, QC)
Maude Laliberté, Club de Rugby Quebec (Quebec City, QC)
Mckinley Hunt, Aurora Barbarians (King City, ONT)
MP Fauteux, Abenakis de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke, QC)
Ngalula Fuamba, TMRRFC, (Notre-Dame-de-Ile-Perrot)
Olivia DeMerchant, Fredericton Loyalists (Mapledale, NB)
Paige Farries, Westshore RFC (Red Deer, AB)
Sabrina Poulin, Town of Mount Royal Rugby (St-Georges de Beauce, QC)
Sara Kaljuvee, Toronto Scottish (Pickering, ON)
Sara Svoboda, Belleville Bulldogs/Toronto Saracens (Belleville, ON)
Sophie De Goede, Castaway Wanderers/Queens University (Victoria, BC)
Taylor Black, Oakville Crusaders (Oakville, ON)
Tyson Beukeboom, Cowichan Piggies (Uxbridge, ON)
Veronica Harrigan, London St. George’s (Lucan, ON)
They include some familiar names, including three who faced England in that memorable World Cup final in Paris in 2014, the captain Laura Russell, Tyson Beukeboom and Elissa Alarie.
Of the XV that started against the Red Roses in Doncaster last November twelve are retained: Russell, DeMerchant, Menin, Beukeboom, Holtkamp, Senft, Slevinsky, Miller, Holly, Tessier, Alarie and Thibault. Menin will be familiar to English fans from her season with Loughborough Lightning.
Two distinguished faces are missing: Cindy Nelles, their powerful No 8, and Magali Harvey, their outstanding right winger. But De Goede should prove a more than adequate replacement for Nelles. She captained the Under 20 side against England U20s with authority.
The head coach, Sandro Fiorino has followed his French and New Zealand counterparts in posting a roster of 30. It will be interesting to see whether the two extra bodies in those three squads can make a practical difference to the results.
As Sarah Hunter has pertinently pointed out, this competition can claim to be even tougher than a full World Cup. Only here will a nation be faced with four opponents of such standing.
The first fixture takes place between Canada and New Zealand on Friday June 28
