Rugby 15s Senior Women, Rugby Canada, Rugby World Cup (Womens), Women's Rugby World Cup

Julia Schell: A Player to Watch For Rugby Canada

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Rugby Canada Player, Julia Schell, Running with the Ball At York Community Stadium in York, England

PLAYER PROFILE – Julia Schell, a Rugby Canada and Trailfinders full-back, is a player to watch for with the women’s national team. The 5’5” Uxbridge-native has been with the national team since 2021, making her debut against the U.S. in the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

She also studied sociology while attending the University of Guelph and played rugby union there.

Julia Schell: A Rising Rugby Canada Star

Childhood

Julia Schell was born in Uxbridge, Ontario, on July 13, 1996. She grew up playing ice hockey, and once petitioned for hits to be allowed in women’s ice hockey (Source: Premiership Women’s Rugby):

“My mum loves this story, but when I was 10 or 11, I started a petition at my elementary school,” remembers Schell. “I wanted women to be able to hit in hockey, and I didn’t understand why it couldn’t be the same.”

In the same article, Schell also talked about her playing style in rugby union and where it was inspired from:

“I think the combination of that and the physicality I had from hockey – I also played soccer growing up – it was a cool mix.”

Schell also talked about what made her take that leap, as she talked about playing rugby union outside of school and her first glimpse of high-performance (Source: Rugby Ontario Instagram Account):

“Outside of school hours, think on the weekend and you just do, like combat sessions in the mat room. You do like small skills. You do stuff at the gym kind of throughout the winter. So I guess that’s kind of what took my rugby to the next level at my school, and it became more of an extracurricular thing as well.”

All of her hard work paid off, starting with her time with the Guelph Redcoats from the University of Guelph.

University of Guelph (2015-20)

Schell studied sociology at the University of Guelph. There, she made some headway. For example, in 2016, she led the OUA as its leading scorer with 76 points scored. She also helped her team finish unbeaten and, as a result, won Player of the Year in the Shiels Division.

Schell also made quite an impression on head coach, Josh Dixon, who had this to say about her on the fitborough Instagram account:

“From the training fields at Guelph to the world stage, Julia has shown nothing but a relentless work ethic and a competitive fire that lifts everyone around her.”

Schell has also shown appreciation for playing with the Redcoats, as she said this (Source: Rugby Ontario Instagram Account):

“The people that I met there, the coaches that I have that still continue to support me and reach out and do absolutely amazing things. I honestly can’t thank any of them enough.”

Rugby Canada (2021-Present)

Schell made her test debut against USA Rugby and also participated in the 2021 Rugby World Cup, which included playing in all three pool stage games in New Zealand. She scored a try against South Africa in a lopsided 66–7 win over South Africa.

In 2025, Schell will be an important member of the national team, being part of the 2025 Pacific Four Series squad as well as participating in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

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She made history for the national team, as she scored the most tries in Canadian national team history with six tries scored against Fiji in a 65-7 win. Head coach of Rugby Canada, Kevin Rouet, commented on Schell’s performance, as he had this to say (Source: Rugby Canada):

“We have a team where anyone can score, but this was the first time we’ve seen one player score so many tries, and you could see it on the field and on the bench – everyone was thrilled for Julia.”

Schell has played a major role in Canada getting out of the group stage, as they now take part in the knockout stages of the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

READ MORE: Alex Tessier: State of Rugby Canada and its Success (Part Two)

Ealing Trailfinders Women (2023-Present)

Schell really excelled for the Ealing Trailfinders. She was able to win two straight player of the game matches in February, highlighting her importance for her team in a league as competitive as the Premiership Women’s Rugby (The PWR).

There, she also played with fellow Canadian teammates such as Emma Taylor and all-time cap leader, Tyson Beukeboom.

Also, just recently, Schell has extended her time with the Trailfinders Women’s team. This is what Exeter Chiefs women’s team head coach, Barney Maddison, said about her (Source: Ealing Trailfinders Website):

“Julia’s is just class for us. The amount of rugby she played last season is a testament to her durability. Along with her versatility, leadership, and attacking ability – she’s a huge asset for us, and a big part of this team,” Maddison said. “We’re thrilled to have her, and I’m looking forward to working with Julia again next year.”

She will be a valuable player for the team as Rugby Canada gets ready to play in the knockout stages of the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

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Where to Watch Julia Schell

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Fans can watch Julia Schell play for the Rugby Canada (Women’s National Team) as they face New Zealand Rugby, nicknamed the Black Ferns, at Ashton Gate in Bristol, England. The game will take place at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET (7:00 PM BST) on Saturday. Fans can watch the game nationally live in Canada on TSN.

Photo Credit: Morgan Harlow – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images on August 23, 2025.

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