How USA "A" vs Canada "A" becomes USA vs Ontario

While knowledge of the WNT team's involvement in the Nations Cup is at least circulating, information about this summer's USA "A" event has been kept on the down low.

I was very excited when I got word that I had been selected as part of USA "A's" assembly and game against Canada "A." It's next logical progression in my select side experience and I am confident that I am setup for success, whatever that might look like. We're are practicing the 17th and 18th for a match against Canada "A" on the 19th. To top it off there's a nice size contingent of Philly teammates/coach traveling for the event.

That's where my story ends and the bizzaro politics/brinkmanship/confusion of international rugby starts.

Last week Goff published an article about the U20 nations cup set to be begin at the end of this week. Canada U20s, Canada U20s "A," England U20s and the Wales u20s will face off over the course of 6 days. After playing each other once, the top two teams will play in a final match, the curtain raiser for the event is a game between Ontario Senior Women and USA Senior "A."

That last bit about USA "A" as a curtain raiser against Ontario Senior left me scratching my head. Apparently I was not the only person who was confused. My coach, who was herself going to Canada and is part of the WNT program as the east region liaison, had not heard of a change in opponent. She reported this anomaly to the powers that be in the WNT "A" program while we sat around wondering where Goff had gotten this information. After all shouldn't USA Rugby already know this?

Rumor became "fact" this morning when I decided to troll the Rugby Canada website. On the front page there is a link to a U20 Nations Cup advertisement. Sure enough, the advertisement lists a game, USA Sr Women vs Ontario Sr Women, on July 19th. Apparently the full USA national team is going north to crush the Ontario provincial side! That will show those dirty Canadians, we'll instill fear to their provincial side and then the rest of the buggers will fall in line.

Confused?

Apparently so are the Canadians, as the main webpage for the U20 Nations Cup infers a different game: Senior Women U.S.A. 'A' vs Canada Selects.

And the rosters page seems to infer the Onatario version of the story. Infact some quick googling reveals that all the clubs listed are in Ontario (so this isn't an Ontario and friends squad.)

This isn't the first time that these details have changed/been glossed over by our great northern neighbor. People who read my blog last summer probably remember of the flip flop before last summer's Can-Am matches.