PLAYER PROFILE – Emily Tuttosi was born on September 21, 1995, in Souris, Manitoba. The hooker has made her mark in the rugby union world with the Exeter Chiefs and continues to do so for Rugby Canada.
Emily Tuttosi: Rugby Canada’s Vital Hooker
Childhood
Tuttosi talked about what it was like growing up in a small town in Souris, Manitoba, according to the Manitoba Métis Federation website:
“Coming from Souris, everyone knows everyone, and there’s a community feel,” she said, adding that getting placed into a city was a big change. “Thankfully, playing rugby at university also made me feel like part of a community – not the same as a town, but still as connected, which I think was helpful and allowed me to know rugby and know the university and then get to branch out.”
She also mentioned how she got interested in the game of rugby union. Tuttosi has an older brother and a twin sister that grew up playing rugby union (Source: Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun):
“We had an older brother (Brendynn) and he played, so that might have been part of it,” Tuttosi said. “Me and Amy were both very aggressive, so rugby just seemed like a good option. Once we started, we never looked back.”
She has also made quite a career for herself because of that. However, Tuttosi also needed a coach to believe in her. The two sisters played for the Souris Sabres program, which was coached by Brian Yon, beginning in grade nine as starters according to Bergson of the Brandon Sun:
“It was Yon saying ‘I think you can do this, you should try this’ and I was like ‘Ya, I’ll give it a try. What’s the worst that can happen?’” Tuttosi said, noting he invited her to a provincial under-19 team tryout when she was 15. “He said, ‘Come to this tryout; I don’t know how it’s going to go for you, but it will be a good experience.’ I ended up making the squad. It was a lot of saying yes and then working hard to get to the next step.”
Yon didn’t just introduce Tuttosi to the sport; she also helped her get to where she is now with Rugby Canada. Yon also played a major role in Tuttosi’s path to the University of Calgary, as Bergson’s Brandon Sun article notes.
“It was Yon saying ‘I think you can do this, you should try this’ and I was like ‘Ya, I’ll give it a try. What’s the worst that can happen?’” Tuttosi said, noting he invited her to a provincial under-19 team tryout when she was 15. “He said, ‘Come to this tryout, I don’t know how it’s going to go for you, but it will be a good experience.’ I ended up making the squad. It was a lot of saying yes and then working hard to get to the next step.”
Yon didn’t just introduce Tuttosi to the sport; she also helped her get to where she is now with Rugby Canada. Yon also played a major role in Tuttosi’s path to the University of Calgary, as Bergson’s Brandon Sun article notes.
University of Calgary (2013-18)
Tuttosi was a key player for the University of Calgary Dinos on and off the field. This is what was said according to the University of Calgary Dinos website:
“The forward is a key presence on and off the field for the Dinos.”
Tuttosi studied Kinesiology while at the University of Calgary. She had a lengthy time with the Dinos, playing there for five seasons. Also, she also had great games with DaLeaka Menin with the Calgary Dinos.
Menin is now a regular on the national team with Canada like Tuttosi (they both also played on the University of Calgary team together), and they both also played big roles in the win against the University of British Columbia on February 18, 2017.
Tuttosi’s biggest university game might have been on February 19, 2017. She scored the game-winning try against Lethbridge, which helped Calgary defeat Alberta, helping the Dinos earn their first-ever Rugby 7s series title.
READ MORE: Rugby Canada and Exeter Chiefs Prop: DaLeaka Menin
In 2022, then the head coach of the Dinos, Simon Chi, spoke about Menin and Emily Tuttosi in the Ethan Roczkowsky, Dinos Communications University of Calgary Dinos website article.
This included their performances with the Loughborough Lightning and the Exeter Chiefs:
Tuttosi played for Loughborough Lightning in 2018-19 before moving to the Exeter Chiefs.
Exeter Chiefs Women (2020-26)
Tuttosi clearly enjoyed her time with the Exeter Chiefs Women’s team, as she said this about playing for them, according to the Manitoba Métis Federation:
“Rugby in Exeter is like hockey in Canada.”
She helped establish the team in the Premier 15s and became a front-row regular in her first season there. Tuttosi spoke about some of her most memorable games. For example, this is what she said according to the Focus Group website:
The Saracens ended a 33-game unbeaten run and a seven-game winning streak on March 20, 2021, according to BBC Sport. Then, a year later, the Chiefs eliminated Bristol in the semi-finals with a thrilling 29-26 win at Sandy Park. These were the two accomplishments Tuttosi mentioned above.
She made 90 appearances for the Exeter Chiefs and scored 32 tries and got 160 points. One of her most notable games was getting a hat-trick of tries on February 26, 2022, against the Worcester Warriors Women’s team by a scoreline of 60-7 at Sandy Park.
She also scored two tries on December 9, 2023, against the Harlequins Women’s team at Twickenham Stoop by a scoreline of 52-27. Then, on February 21, 2025, Tuttosi scored two tries against the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road. These were key tries as they won that game 24-19.
Her legacy with the team will remain forever. This is what Exeter Chiefs Women’s head coach Steve Salvin said, according to the Exeter Chiefs website:
Tuttosi spent six years with the Chiefs and created a legacy few players will ever match. She is now a full-time assistant coach for the University of Ottawa women’s rugby team, according to the University of Ottawa Gee-Geese’s website.
Rugby Canada (2018-Present)
Emily Tuttosi is one of Rugby Canada’s most important and significant players. Her ability to perform at the scrum and at set pieces is a major reason Canada has needed her in so many games while wearing the red and white uniform.
For example, in the 2022 Pacific Four Nations game against Australia, Tuttosi scored a try and helped Canada come back for a 22-10 win.
Tuttosi made her mark in the 2021 Rugby World Cup (Women’s). In this tournament, Tuttosi scored six tries in this tournament. This included three tries against Japan, where she also won Player of the Match. In addition, Tuttosi was named to the 2022 World Rugby Women’s Dream Team, a great honour for the hooker, Emily Tuttosi, according to Rugby Canada.
Her biggest plus is her ability to score or create tries from mauls and the lineouts. An example would be in the 2023 Pacific Four Nations Cup, when she scored a try via a maul. She was also part of the 2025 Pacific Four Nations Cup squad, where Canada defeated New Zealand and became Pacific Four Nations Cup champions.
Tuttosi will always be remembered by the win against Scotland at Sandy Park (the home of the Exeter Chiefs). Tuttosi scored two tries in that game as Canada defeated Scotland by a scoreline of 40-19, with Tuttosi winning Player of the Match. This game took place on September 6, 2025.
This is what Tuttosi said about the match, according to the BBC:
“When I came out and saw a full Sandy Park… It does feel special because people keep showing up for us in Devon and Cornwall,” she said.
READ MORE: Kévin Rouet: The Women’s 15’s Rugby Canada Head Coach
Tuttosi also performed well in the WXV 1 competition. This included scoring a key try against France in the WXV 2024 competition, which helped the team win by a scoreline of 46-12. She has also scored big tries against England.
Kévin Rouet also discussed how important Tuttosi is to the national team according to the Exeter Chiefs website:
Tuttosi will be a player that Rugby Canada has needed in the past and will continue to need in the future.
READ MORE: Rugby Canada Defeats England Rugby to Retain Utrecht Shield
Other Factors: What Players Say about Emily Tuttosi
This is what Alex Tessier, a teammate of Emily Tuttosi, said about Tuttosi, as she said this:
READ MORE: Rugby Canada Ends England Rugby’s 41-Game Unbeaten Run
She will be a player Canada desperately needs as it turns the page to 2027, after a successful 2026 in which Canada defeated England twice in one month.
Photo Credit: Rugby Canada Facebook Page on January 4, 2023.
