Daria Keane is heading to Salt Lake City with some of Canada’s best senior women’s rugby players.

The 22-year-old Sarnia native was named to the Maple Leafs’ roster for the women’s rugby super series, which will be held in the Utah capital in early July.

“I was thrilled when I found out I made the Maple Leafs’ squad for Canada,” Keane said of the announcement, which was made official Tuesday. “Just finishing up my varsity season and knowing my hard work has paid off in making the squad is very exciting.”

Keane, a veteran with the Guelph Gryphons varsity women’s side, participated in an eastern Canadian camp April 25 to 29 in Guelph. The tryout featured two-a-day training sessions and nightly meetings.

“The emphasis was contact, overall, and for the forwards there was a lot of scrumming,” she said. “Very physical, very intense but I was loving every minute of it.”

Two Canadian squads are heading to Salt Lake City. The senior women’s team will play three international matches against England, the U.S. and France while the Maple Leafs will take on the USA All-Americans twice, July 5 and July 9.

Keane previously played against the U.S. under-20 team on two occasions while with Canada’s U20 program.

“They’re usually very big, physical, athletic,” she recalled.

Though she’s had a memorable career on the pitch so far – she was a Gryphons’ co-captain and named an OUA all-star, the Shiels Division most valuable player and a CIS all-Canadian after last fall’s season – being selected to the 23-player Maple Leafs ranks close to the top of her list of personal achievements.

“Being a Gryphon for five years is very special and an awesome experience, but just playing at the next level is very exciting,” she said.

The national program will head to the U.K. later this year but selection to the super series doesn’t mean a spot for that tour has been earned yet.

“We will pick the November squad for the U.K. based on performances with Canada, the Maple Leafs, national championships, CIS and released sevens players, so it’s a busy summer and provides many chances for the players to confirm or win a spot in the senior team,” senior women’s head coach Francois Ratier said in a press release from Rugby Canada.

Keane is also playing for the Ontario Storm senior women’s provincial team, the hosts of the women’s Canadian rugby championship Aug. 15-21 in Markham, and the Guelph Redcoats club team of Rugby Ontario’s women’s league.

tbridge@postmedia.com

@ObserverTerry