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TORONTO - Forward Kelly Russell will lead a balanced Canadian side at the IRB Womens Rugby World Cup in Paris this summer. The 27-year-old captain from Bolton, Ont., one of 26 women named to coach Francois Ratiers roster Monday, will be looking to erase the memories of a disappointing sixth-place finish at the 2010 tournament. The Canadian womens best result is fourth, achieved at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 tournaments. Other returning veterans of the 2010 tournament are Kim Donaldson, Mandy Marchak, Barbara Mervin, Julia Sugawara, Brittany Waters and Julianne Zussman. Five or six players were unavailable for selection due to injury or sevens commitments. "This is the 26 best players we had available," said Ratier, who took over the Canadian women in March 2013. "My goal at the beginning was to have a balanced squad between veterans and new players — experience and fresh minds," he added. "At the end, thats what I have." The youngsters include 19-year-old fly half Emily Belchos. New Zealand has won the last four womens World Cups, beating England in the final of the last three tournaments. Canada can take confidence from staying close to the Black Ferns in 33-21 and 16-8 losses on tour in June. "We were pretty pleased about the performance in New Zealand," said Ratier. "But we didnt show everything. So we keep some surprises, maybe. Well see. "We are not so far (behind). In a World Cup, in one game, you never know." Russell plays No. 8 at the back of the scrum, one of several positions that Ratier considers the spine of his team. The others are hooker (Donaldson and Mary-Jane Kirby), scrum half (Stephanie Bernier), fly half (Belchos is one of several contenders) and fullback (Elissa Alarie). "She (Russell), for me, is the centre of this spine — because of her experience, the way she leads and the good communication between her and I" said Ratier. Russells younger sister Laura is also on the World Cup roster. The 12-team tournament runs Aug. 1-17 in France. Canada has been placed in Pool A with Spain, Samoa and England. Canada opens against Spain, a team it beat at the 1991 and 2006 World Cups, on Aug 1 before facing Samoa on Aug. 5 and England on Aug. 9. Canada has never played Samoa. The Canadian women beat a young England squad 27-13 last summer but lost 30-3 when they met again last November. Only the three pool winners and the best-placed runner-up team advance to the semifinals. "Obviously in our pool, England is the favourite," said Ratier. "Its a fact. So it forces us to win and score a lot of points against Spain and Samoa." Ratier, a native of France who came to Canada 11 years ago and now makes his home in Montreal, has also coached the Rugby Club de Montreal (2003-2008), Concordia University (2007-2008) and the Quebec provincial team. He was also technical director of the Quebec Union and assistant coach with The Rock and Canada ‘A in 2009. In addition, he has worked with the Canada U-17 mens side. The Canadian women will gather for a one-week training camp in France prior to the tournament. Canadas Womens Rugby World Cup Roster: (with club and home town) Elissa Alarie, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Rugby Club, Trois-Rivieres, Que.; Emily Belchos, Barrie, Ont., Markham Irish RFC; Brittany Benn, Guelph Redcoats, Napanee, Ont.; Stephanie Bernier, Club de Rugby Quebec, Quebec City; Tyson Beukeboom, Aurora Barbarians, Uxbridge, Ont.; Latoya Blackwood, St. Anne de Bellevue, Montreal; Andrea Burk, Capilano RFC, North Vancouver; Olivia DeMerchant, Woodstock Wildmen, Mapledale, N.B.; Kim Donaldson, Burnaby Lake Rugby Club, Toronto; Jessica Dovanne, Velox RFC, Victoria; Magali Harvey, Club de Rugby Quebec, Quebec City; Mary-Jane Kirby, Highland RFC, Brampton, Ont.; Hilary Leith, Capilano RFC, Vancouver; Kayla Mack, Wild Oats RFC, Saskatoon; Mandy Marchak, Capilano RFC, Winnipeg; Barbara Mervin, Velox RFC, Peterborough, Ont.; Jacey Murphy, Aurora Barbarians, Alliston, Ont.; Karen Paquin, Club de Rugby Quebec, Quebec City; Marie-Pier Pinault-Reid, Club de Rugby Quebec, Quebec City; Kelly Russell (capt.), Toronto Nomads, Bolton, Ont.; Laura Russell, Toronto Nomads, Bolton, Ont.; Maria Samson, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Julia Sugawara, Burnaby Lake RFC, Surrey, B.C.; Amanda Thornborough, Brandon Barbarians RFC, Brandon, Man.; Brittany Waters, Meraloma Athletic Club, Vancouver; Julianne Zussman, Town of Mount Royal RFC, Montreal. Head Coach: Francois Ratier Forwards Coach: Gary Dukelow Backs Coach: Colette McAuley Technical Adviser: John Tait Strength and Conditioning: Steve Mackinnon Sam Huff Youth Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Charles Mann Redskins Jersey . The Canadian Luge Association officially named seven athletes to the 2014 Olympic team Tuesday. Edney, will lead teenagers John Fennell and Mitchel Malyk into their first Games in mens singles. Tristan Walker and Justin Snith will represent Canada in doubles, while Gough, will be joined by Kimberley McRae in womens singles. https://www.redskinssportsgoods.com/Womens-Joe-Theismann-Inverted-Jersey/ . Garcia had eight birdies overall to go with a lone bogey on the fourth to move to an 18-under total of 198 at the Asian Tour event. 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For future suspensions, the deal also would eliminate the loophole allowing Alex Rodriguez to earn almost $3 million during his season-long ban, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity in recent days because talks are ongoing. The sides hope to reach an agreement by Sunday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers open the U.S. portion of the major league schedule at the San Diego Padres. While the lengths have not been finalized, a person involved with the talks said Wednesday the most likely penalties would be about 80 games for an initial testing violation and a season-long ban for a second. "It will be a significant deterrent because players will know theyre not going to just easily walk back into a lineup," Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said in a telephone interview. "It probably is the best policy in professional sports." For use of a limited group of substances, the sides were discussing giving the arbitration panel that hears appeals grievances the authority to reduce suspensions by as much as 50 per cent if the player proves the positive test was caused by unintentional use, the person said. "What were all here for it to rid sports of the intentional cheats, those who are intending to defraud both the fans and their fellow teammates, the integrity of competition," Tygart said. "You want to have provisions in place that allow for whether theres an inadvertent or a truly non-intentional situation which may arise." Since the 2006 season, the Major League Baseballs drug agreement has called for a 50-game suspension for a first positive steroids test, a 100-game ban for a second and a lifetime penalty for a third. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig called for tougher penalties last March, and then-union head Michael Weiner said players would consider them for 2014. Weiner died in November and was succeeded by former All-Star Tony Clark, who has led the negotiations. Major League Baseballs investigation of the Biogenesis of Amerrica anti-aging clinic led to 14 suspensions last summer, including a 65-game penalty for former NL MVP Ryan Braun of Milwaukee and a 211-game ban for Rodriguez, which was reduced to 162 games in January by an arbitrator.dddddddddddd The section covering violations not related to positive tests, which was used by Selig in the Biogenesis case, will be clarified but still will allow discipline for "just cause." Many players have advocated stiffer penalties as a deterrent. Arizona pitcher Brad Ziegler spoke out after Jhonny Peralta, who served a 50-game suspension, agreed in November to a $53 million, four-year contract with St. Louis. "We thought 50 games would be a deterrent. Obviously its not. So we are working on it again," he tweeted then. "It pays to cheat... Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use." Some players said suspensions should lead to larger monetary losses. San Diego Padres outfielder Will Venable maintained last summer "somehow having to forfeit or void your contract that youre under is something that needs to be the main focus of the penalties." But for the majority of players, that would go too far. "Id venture to guess that even though there are concerns on a number of levels, that we will never end up in a world where player contracts are voided as a result," Clark told the AP during a January interview. Addressing positives caused by inadvertent use was a factor in the talks. Philadelphia infielder Freddy Galvis was suspended for 50 games in June 2012 for a Clostebol Metabolite, which he later claimed was contained in a foot cream he used. Reliever Guillermo Mota, then with San Francisco, was suspended for 100 games in May 2012 after taking a cough syrup with Clenbuterol. The new deal also will state that a player receives none of his salary during a season-long suspension. The current deal said a player loses as many days pay as games he is suspended. Since players are paid over a 183-day season this year, arbitrator Fredric Horowitz ruled Rodriguez was entitled to 21-183rds of his $25 million salary, or $2,868,852. "Thats fantastic," Tygart said. "You hit them in the pocketbook, and thats really where the cheaters are most deterred from attempting to steal money from the other players." ' ' '