Ottawa, Ont. — Softball Canada is pleased to announce the roster for the Women’s National Team that will represent Canada and compete in the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group Stage 2026. The event will take place from June 16 to 20 in Prague, Czechia.
Led by Head Coach Kaleigh Rafter, Team Canada enters the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage with more than a world championship on the line. The tournament marks the beginning of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with the winner of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 securing a direct berth to LA28.
Canada’s immediate goal is to finish among the top two teams in its Group Stage standings, which would earn a place at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane, Australia. From there, the team will have the opportunity to compete for a world title and an Olympic qualification spot.
“Our athletes have worked extremely hard to prepare for this opportunity, and we’re confident in the group we’ve selected to represent Canada. This team combines experience, skill, and determination, and we’re excited to begin our World Cup campaign as we pursue a place in the 2027 Finals and continue our path toward Olympic qualification for LA28.” – Head Coach Kaleigh Rafter.
Canada, currently ranked No. 4 in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Rankings, enters the Group Stage following a bronze-medal finish at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup. The result, achieved after a Super Round appearance against the United States, Japan, and the Netherlands, matched the program’s best World Cup finish since winning silver in 1978, with other bronze medals won in 2010, 2016 and 2018.
Canada (No. 4) will take the field against a talented group of opponents: Chinese Taipei (No. 5), Italy (No. 9), Czechia (No. 10), Australia (No. 11), and Cuba (No. 14).
The top two teams following pool play will play for Gold, the winner of which will automatically qualify for the World Cup Finals. The loser of the Gold medal game will play again versus the winner of a game between the 3rd- and 4th-place teams; the winner of that Repechage game will also qualify for the World Cup Finals.
The 16 athletes who will represent Canada at the 2026 WBSC World Cup Group Stage are:
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | HOMETOWN |
| Dawn | Bodrug | Georgetown, Ont. |
| Emma | Entzminger | Victoria, B.C. |
| Logan | Forman | Brantford, Ont. |
| Larissa | Franklin | Maple Ridge, B.C. |
| Sara | Groenewegen | Surrey, B.C. |
| Kelsey | Harshman | Delta, B.C. |
| Zoe | Hicks* | Boissevain, Man. |
| Kianna | Jones | Surrey, B.C. |
| Janet | Leung | Mississauga, Ont. |
| Callum | Maskill | Abbotsford, B.C. |
| Grace | Messmer | Cloverdale, B.C. |
| Erika | Polidori | Brantford, Ont. |
| Morgan | Rackel | Calgary, Alta. |
| Morgan | Reimer | Langley, B.C. |
| Nicola | Simpson* | Athens, Ont. |
| Natalie | Wideman | Mississauga, Ont. |
| CC | Wong | Port Coquitlam, B.C. |
Bold = Members of the 2024 WBSC Women's Softball World Cup
* = Alternate
Coaching Staff
| POSITION | NAME | HOMETOWN |
| Head Coach | Kaleigh Rafter | Guelph, Ont. |
| Assistant Coach | Chris Jones | Oshawa, Ont. |
| Assistant Coach | Christian Conrad | Fort Worth, Tex. |
| Assistant Coach | Joey Lye | Toronto, Ont. |
| Director of Sports Medicine & Performance | Natalie Ghobrial | Toronto, Ont. |
| Team Manager | Angela Ballantyne | Ottawa, Ont. |
2026 WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group Stage Schedule
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
| June 16 | Canada vs. Italy | 12:00pm CEST (5:00am EDT) |
| June 17 | Canada vs Australia | 4:00pm CEST (9:00am EDT) |
| June 18 | Canada vs. Cuba | 10:00am CEST (3:00am EDT) |
| June 19 | Canada vs. Chinese Taipei | 1:00pm CEST (6:00am EDT) |
| June 19 | Canada vs. Czechia | 7:00pm CEST (12:00pm EDT) |
| June 20 | Playoffs (TBD) | TBD |
How to Watch
Fans will be able to follow all the action from the 2026 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup with comprehensive live coverage beginning next week.
Every game will be streamed free of charge on CBC platforms, including CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca, with additional live coverage available on the CBC Sports YouTube channel.
For a full list of game times and matchups, fans can visit the official streaming schedule here:
🔗 https://www.cbc.ca/sports/streaming-schedule?sport=Softball
With multiple viewing options available, supporters across the country can catch every pitch, hit, and highlight as Team Canada competes on the world stage.
Following the conclusion of the WBSC World Cup Group Stage, Team Canada will travel to Tokyo, Japan for a series of exhibition games against Team Japan, Bic Camera Takasaki, and Tokyo International University.
Stay updated with the latest developments by following Softball Canada and the WBSC across all major social medial platforms. Click here to view live schedule and result updates.
