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Karen Paquin has been selected to the official 2021 World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year. The Canadian flanker is the only Americas representative named in the side that is comprised of players from six different nations.
Canada returned to test rugby after a two-year hiatus this fall, with Paquin starting in both tests against the USA in Colorado and against England in London. She scored a memorable solo try in the second test against the Women’s Eagles. Earlier in the year Paquin competed in sevens at the Tokyo Olympics.
Third-ranked France have the most players selected at six, with the world’s top-ranked side England supplying five players. Second-ranked New Zealand – the defending World Cup champions – remarkably contribute only one player, with Italy and France also providing one player each.
The Dream Team was selected by a panel consisting of: Liza Burgess (WAL), Lynne Cantwell (IRE), Fiona Coghlan (IRE), Stephen Jones (ENG), Gaëlle Mignot (FRA), Jillion Potter (USA), Melodie Robinson (NZL), Karl Te Nana (NZL), and Danielle Waterman (ENG).
WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’s 15s DREAM TEAM
1 – Annaëlle Deshayes (France)
2 – Agathe Sochat (France)
3 – Sarah Bern (England)
4 – Safi N’Diaye (France)
5 – Abbie Ward (England)
6 – Zoe Aldcroft (England)
7 – Karen Paquin (Canada)
8 – Poppy Cleall (England)
9 – Laure Sansus (France)
10 – Caroline Drouin (France)
11 – Abby Dow (England)
12 – Beatrice Rigoni (Italy)
13 – Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
14 – Caroline Boujard (France)
15 – Jasmine Joyce (Wales)
