Ottawa will play host to a Pacific Four Series women’s rugby event later this summer.
Canada, New Zealand, the United States and England will participate in the competition in July, Rugby Canada announced Sunday. Games will be played at TD Place.
It will mark the first international women’s rugby series held in Canada since 2015.
Canada will face reigning six-time world champion New Zealand on July 8 while the U.S. will take on Australia. The Canadians will play Australia on July 14 with the Americans going up against New Zealand.
The Canadian team is currently ranked No. 4 in the world after a fourth-place finish at the 2021 Rugby World Cup.
“We are excited to see our excellent Canadian national team take on the best in the world in front of a home crowd,” Nathan Bombrys, Rugby Canada’s chief executive, said in a statement. “We are pleased to be able to bring another international rugby event to the province of Ontario and Canada’s capital.
“We will also be leaving a legacy of rugby across the city - delivering rugby coaching sessions to 5,000 children and donating 3,000 rugby balls to Ottawa schools this summer. TD Place is a great stadium for international rugby, and we will be aiming to pack it with thousands of Canadians to get behind our team and celebrate the women who represent Canada.”
In addition, Canada’s under-20 team and the under-18 Canada East squad will play matches throughout the week. The national under-20 side will face England’s under-20 squad July 8 as part of a doubleheader.
“On behalf of the Ontario government, I am honoured to be welcoming athletes, coaches, families and spectators to our province this summer for the 2023 Pacific Four Series,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “We are proud to host premier sport events that showcase Ontario as a destination of choice and boost local and regional economies.
“With support from the Ontario Sport Hosting Program, events like this help us build a culture in our province that values sport and contributes to the development of our talented athletes.”