Although the Canadian women’s rugby team was the runner up in the Women’s Rugby World Cup, losing to England in the final game on Aug. 17, it was still a monumental moment for the team.
After beating the host team, France’s Les Bleues, in an intense 18-16 semi-final game, Canada advanced to the final for the first time ever.
England dominated the first half of the championship game, but Canada remained close through the second half. However, it was not enough to penetrate England’s strong defense, and Canada suffered a 21-9 loss.
It was the first time in 20 years England has taken the cup. New Zealand has held the title for the past three years.
Jane Kirby, a hooker for Team Canada, is a member of the Highland Rugby Club in Fergus and played for the University of Guelph team for five years.
Her position is in the forward pack, right in the middle of the scrum. Her goal is to “hook” the ball with her foot and send it back into her team’s possession.
Kirby, a Brampton native, says getting involved with rugby was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Her high school team was short on numbers for a European tour and one of the coaches asked her if she’d be interested.
After that, she was all in, playing for the U-19 and U-20 Canadian teams. However, the World Cup was never far from Kirby’s mind.
“During the last World Cup in 2010 I was still in university, but I remember staying up until 4am to watch and thinking, ‘I’m doing that one day,’” she says.
Once she got there, it was everything she dreamed it would be, with incredible fan support and a welcoming atmosphere. Although she had the opportunity to do some sight seeing while she was in Paris, Kirby says ultimately the trip was all about the game.
The lead up to the pivotal semi-final game against France in a stadium of 20,000 people was nerve-wracking she says, but once she got on the field that all evaporated.
“Adrenaline is a beautiful thing. You hardly think about your body and the impact in a game; you’re thinking about the next job that you have, the next 10 seconds of work you need to do to keep your team going forward,” she said.
“We all are willing to sacrifice everything for a game – you’re playing for your sisters on the team, family in the stands, friends watching at home, for Canadians and for yourself.”
Previously, Kirby had said making it to the World Cup was her end goal. Now she can’t imagine not going again – especially since the next tournament is only three years away.
“One of the most amazing things has been the support from all the fans,” she says. “After winning the semi-finals, we like to go around the stadium and clap and thank our fans for being there. As we were doing that, a lot of the French supporters cheered us on and tipped their hats to us, because at the end of the day, they were rugby fans.”
Highland Rugby Club president Joe Bowley has known Kirby since 2008, when she first started at the University of Guelph and playing for the senior women’s team.
He says Kirby has been an invaluable member of the club as a mentor and teammate, acting as club captain for the senior women and coaching younger teams.
“She’s a great girl. She’s always willing to help out and she’s one of the reasons our girl’s program is starting – the senior women’s team is such a welcoming group of players that have encouraged younger girls to play,” said Bowley.
Highland Rugby is the first club in the country to have totally independent U-10 and U-12 girl’s programs. Bowley says it’s really an up-and-coming sport and he only expects it to keep growing in popularity.
“When I first came to Canada nine years ago, girls rugby was really just starting – you (only) saw it in high schools,” he says.
“We’ve put so much effort into supporting the kids playing and developing the game from a young age and now we’re seeing the benefits of that.”
Kirby says although rugby often has a reputation for being a rough sport, the camaraderie and personal growth players can gain from the game makes it worthwhile.
“Rugby culture is such a tight-knit, family atmosphere that surrounds you,” she said. “I’ve played on so many different teams at various levels in different regions and it’s always the same. It’s different from other Sports because it takes all types of people to play. You need speed, strength, tenacity, leadership, willingness and trust.”
Seeing one of their own advance to the national team and compete in the World Cup is also a source of pride and inspiration for those players just starting out, says Bowley.
It’s also incredibly rewarding for all the coaches at the club.
“They know Jane’s going (to the World Cup) and I think that’s what’s going to explode – the fact that they know somebody who played for Team Canada and got to the finals,” he says.
“All these girls are so excited, (they’re) saying, ‘We’re Highland players and one of ours is playing for Team Canada’ – they’re just proud.”
As the president, Bowley says the most rewarding thing for him is seeing players start at a young age and go on to play rugby on a provincial or national level.
“Seeing players that joined the club when they were eight years old, and now seeing them play under 18 or (on) senior teams, just loving the club and loving the environment … I think that’s the rewarding thing for me. Seeing the kids enjoy themselves and seeing them play.”
As for Kirby’s future in rugby, she says she will continue to play for the local club and provincial team, but because there is no funding for her division on a national level, she thinks she will most likely transition to the administrative side of the game.
Reflecting on her rugby journey, Kirby says she will be forever grateful for the opportunities the sport has given her and the amazing people she’s met along the way.
“Rugby has been such a driving force in my life,” she says.
“I’ve been able to travel the world playing rugby and really met my best friends through the sport. It’s given me a chance to challenge myself, both physically and emotionally, and has definitely influenced who I am.”
