Article content

Maria Samson calls the opportunity to play an international rugby match in her new home city “huge.”

Her chance occurs on June 27. On Tuesday Rugby Canada announced that Calgary will host the first matches of the 2015 Women’s Rugby 15s Super Series. The United States, New Zealand and reigning World Cup champion England are also coming.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Calgarian Samson will represent Canada when world's top female rugby teams visit Alberta this summer Back to video

“My first (international) cap was in Oakville (Ontario) in 2011 which was pretty special being from the east (the Montreal area) but being able to play in Calgary which is now my home and where I’ve been working for seven years is incredible,” Samson said.

“For anybody coming up the ranks to see high-level women’s rugby and see how fast-paced it is and what they can aspire to is amazing.”

Calgary Rugby Park will be the site of a doubleheader when Canada faces the New Zealand Black Ferns and the Americans play England.

The series moves to Red Deer on Canada Day where Canada meets the United States and New Zealand and England square off; then wraps up July 5 in Edmonton when Canada battles England and New Zealand and the U.S. play.

Samson will be the lone Calgarian playing. The 32 year old has been a resident of the city since 2008 — the same year she said she began taking the game seriously. Samson worked her way on to the national women’s 15s team three years later and was Rugby Canada’s women’s player of the year in 2012.