JAECOO PWR duo set for historic Army Women fixture in Canada

Two JAECOO PWR players will represent the British Army in Ottawa on Friday 23 October as Army Women face Canadian Armed Forces Women for the first time.

Loughborough Lightning’s India King joins Harlequins’ Lauren Brooks in the touring squad.

The match kicks off at 3.15pm local time (8.15pm BST) at TD Place, as the official curtain-raiser to Canada’s meeting with England in the WXV Global Series.

For the two players, the tour brings together two demanding careers: serving in the British Army and competing at the highest level of domestic women’s rugby.

Lance Corporal King, who serves in the Royal Military Police, recently signed for Lightning for the 2026/27 season, while Private Brooks combines her rugby with service in the Royal Logistic Corps.

Their selection highlights how the Army supports servicewomen to pursue high-performance sport alongside their military responsibilities, with opportunities to travel and represent the Service overseas.

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Opportunities beyond playing

The JAECOO PWR connection extends to the match officials, with Major Nikki O’Donnell travelling as an assistant referee.

An Army Rugby and JAECOO PWR referee, O’Donnell’s involvement demonstrates that the opportunities within the sport reach beyond those taking the field as players.

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Building links

The fixture forms part of Army Women’s ongoing development programme, giving the squad valuable experience against international military opposition while strengthening links between the British Army and Canadian Armed Forces.

Sharing the stage with England and Canada also provides an opportunity to introduce women’s military rugby to a wider audience and celebrate the achievements of servicewomen from both nations.

Through its partnership with the British Army, the JAECOO PWR is proud to see players and officials from across the competition take their experience from the domestic game onto an international military stage.

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What the players have to say

LCpl India King: “Balancing Rugby alongside Army life allows me to grow stronger, challenge myself and bring the best of both worlds together. Representing the Army Women’s Rugby Team in Canada is a huge honour. It’s a chance for us to showcase our strength, determination and pride, both on and off the pitch, while hopefully inspiring and helping grow the women’s game.”

PTE Lauren Brooks: “Army rugby and the JAECOO PWR complement each other really well and both are supportive of the other. Playing in the Canada fixture is a fantastic opportunity to compete with other teams outside of our standard fixtures and helps establish army rugby further. Showing that not only do we want to try win fixtures but also continue to develop our game.”

WO2 Sarah Mitchelson - Head Coach: “To be invited over for such a momentous fixture shows the reputation we have built We are honoured and extremely proud to have this privilege. We will take this opportunity which doesn’t come round often and show that the players can play on the big stage. There is great talent in our squad, and we will relish the challenge of a different opposition.

Follow the squad’s preparations and updates from Canada on Army Rugby’s Instagram, @armyrugbyunion.