BOULDER, Colo. – Two teams comprised of America and Canada’s elite women’s rugby players are set to go head-to-head in the 2007 Can-Am Tournament. The first match of the event will be held Monday, August 27, 2007 at 3:30 pm CT at the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine, Minn., with a second match following at the NSC on Wednesday, August 29 at 6 pm CT.

The Can-Am is the first step in the creation of an event that will be similar to the Men’s North America 4 Rugby Tournament between four squads from the U.S. and Canada. Players from each team will begin arriving in Minnesota on Friday, August 24 and train together over the weekend prior to their first meeting on August 27.

“The Can-Am Tournament will provide us with a great opportunity to see more players compete at the international level,” Anne Barry, Director of Women’s Rugby for USA Rugby said. “At this point in the Women's Rugby World Cup (WRWC) cycle, we can begin testing our new players against our neighboring Canadian rivals. When fully implemented, this competition will give our players much needed high-level elite competitions in preparation for the 2010 WRWC."

The USA squad will be coached by USA Women’s National Team Head Coach Kathy Flores and veteran Women Eagle’s center Candi Orsini. The coaches have selected a pool of 31 players

who will train together beginning August 24. The final roster for each match of the competition will be determined following the weekend training session.

"This event provides an opportunity for not only player development but coaching development” Flores said. “For our country to be successful at the next World Cup, both players and coaches need to increase their level of understanding of the international game together.”

The squad of women invited to train for the Can-Am Tournament is as follows:

Stacy Baker (Philadelphia), Stacy Bennett (Northern Virginia), Jamie Burke (Berkeley All-Blues), Lisa Butts, Meg Crapster-Pregont (Cornell), Mel Denham (Beantown), Liz Dilley (Washington), Farrah Douglas (Chicago North Shore), Carrie DuBray (New York), Allyson Hemstreet (Berkeley All-Blues), Katy Hertel (Minnesota Valkyries), Heather Jennings (Seattle), Mel Kanuk (Maryland Stingers), Ashley Kmiecek, Lynelle Kugler (Olde Girls of Glendale), Jamie Lange (Olde Girls of Glendale), Sara Leary (Cleveland), Nathalie Marchino (Berkeley All-Blues), Vanesha McGee (New York), Jenny Menke (Minnesota Valkyries), San Juanita Moreno (Oregon Sports Union), Elise Myer (Northern Virginia), Chris Trucano (Twin Cities Amazons), Jossy Tseng (Stanford Univ.), Kitt Wagner (Beantown), Mari Wallace (Berkeley All-Blues), Maura Weikman (New York), Sheara Williamson (Philadelphia), Rose Whitmore (Berkeley All-Blues), Wendy Young (Austin Valkyries) and Kristen Zdancewicz (Minnesota Valkyries).

For more information on the U.S. Women’s National Team and their upcoming schedule, please log on to www.usarugby.org/goto/women_eagles or contact the Women’s Team Administrator, Yvonne Parkhurst at yparkhurst@usarugby.org.