Chiefs to feature in Canadian and Italian World Cup openers

Canada and Italy announced their round one Women's Rugby World Cup squad on Thursday afternoon with four Chiefs Women involved.

Chiefs' fly-half Alex Tessier will captain Canada from inside centre against Fiji with club team-mates prop DaLeaka Menin and hooker Emily Tuttosi on the bench.

Tessier said: "We’re very eager to get started, to get the first game in. We've had an amazing prep up to here - the two last games I think were quality and some of their respective halves. But yeah, I think everybody's excited and we're a very one-team kind of mindset. It's always team first across the board. Excitement is the big word right now.

"They're [Fiji] very unpredictable, we know they're physical, and we know that they like their offload games and stuff, so I think it will be a matter of who can like manage that game the best, who can control and retain that ball the best.

"We'll have to definitely match, if not beat, them on their collision or aggression and definitely be smarter maybe with some of our strategy as well, because they could create real chaos on and off the ball as well. It would be up to us to manage that game."

Menin said: "The girls are excited. We have quite a wide spread of some girls that this is going to be their fourth World Cup and some girls, this is going to be their first. 

"Some girls are nervous, some girls are just, like, 'let's get the first game going' just so you can really sort of get into the vibe of what the World Cup is. Girls are set to get into training and excited to get those little kinks out and just be able to go into the game confident."

Canada play Fiji at the Community Stadium in York on Saturday (KO 17:30). This game will be shown live on BBC iPlayer.

Meanwhile Chiefs' summer signing Francesca Granzotto will play her first game at Sandy Park as the Italian is named on the bench against France.

Granzotto said: "I’m really excited. I’m excited as it’s the first game of the World Cup, which is massive. I’ve already been to a World Cup in the one that was played in New Zealand, but I hadn’t played, so it’s like my debut for the World Cup, so I’m excited.

"The thing that makes me more excited is that I’m going to play in my future home which is really nice."

Sandy Park is hosting seven Rugby World Cup fixtures starting this Saturday with France v Italy (KO 20:15). Tickets are still available for this game here.

Rugby World Cup fixtures at Sandy Park:

Saturday, 23 August - KO 20:15 - France v Italy

Sunday, 31 August - KO 14:00 - New Zealand v Japan/KO 16:45 France v Brazil

Saturday, 6 September - KO12:00 - Canada v Scotland/ KO 14:45 Wales v Fiji

Saturday, 13 September - KO 13:00 - Winner pool C v Runner-up pool D quarter-final

Sunday, 14 September - KO 13:00 - Winner pool D v Runner-up pool C quarter-final

Tickets available from www.rugbyworldcup.com