Carissa Norsten, named U-Sports' women’s rugby player of the year last month, will captain Canada in the opening events of the HSBC SVNS season in Dubai and Cape Town.

The 22-year-old from Waldheim, Sask., is one of seven returning players from the Canadian side that won bronze at last season’s HSBC SVNS World Championship. The other returnees are Breanne Nicholas, Carmen Izyk, Savannah Bauder, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Charity Williams and Larah Wright.

The Canadian women finished eighth in Dubai last December, losing 24-22 to Japan in their final. They followed that by placing fifth in Cape Town, fourth in Perth, seventh in Vancouver and third in both Hong Kong and Singapore to stand fourth overall in the standings in the six events leading up to the season-ending World Championship in Car

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