PARIS — The Langford-based Canadian rugby team on Monday recorded one of its greatest victories by stunning host France 19-14 in the 2024 Olympic Games quarter-finals at Stade de France before the largest crowd ever to watch female rugby.
The 66,000 fans, who began the game with a wall of noise and chants of “Allez les Bleus,” were subdued to near silence by the end whistle, while the tiny contingent of Canadian friends and family waved Maple Leaf flags in a frenzy.
The atmosphere in Saint-Denis has been pulsating, a raucous cauldron of fun, noise and joyful passion and always presented with a sense of flair and occasion.
For instance, Canada ran out for its first group game against Fiji with the Summer of ’69 blaring on the stadium PA. It turned out to be a good omen, as Canada went 2-1 in group play.
Bryan Adams was certainly not on the soundtrack for the quarter-final against the hosts, yet that mattered little to the plucky upstarts in what has become an experience not to be forgotten.
“It’s once in a lifetime. I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this. And to have my family here from Victoria makes it all the more special,” said Canadian starter Caroline Crossley, the Castaway Wanderers club player out of Oak Bay High School.
That the Islander is even here came after much reflection in two years away from the game: “I needed to take some space for myself. It was a crazy 10 years I had been in the game. I did some other things but I decided I wanted to come back and try rugby again and am so happy and grateful I did.”
Canadian captain Olivia Apps also almost didn’t make it here for the 2024 Games after surviving a cougar attack last month in Strathcona Park, including being bitten.
Apps said she didn’t want to talk about the cougar attack: “It’s all about the rugby right now. I’m just focusing on this team and being here in Paris. That’s really what’s important to me right now. I’m just grateful to be here and be a part of this amazing tournament. To be able to be out there in front of crowds like that was incredible.”
Canada advanced to the quarter-finals with 26-17 and 17-14 victories over China and 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze-medallist Fiji, respectively, with the only blemish in group play being the 33-7 loss to defending Tokyo Olympic champion and world No. 1 New Zealand. Then the quarter-final against France was pure spectacle against the hosts.
“This is the pinnacle event,” said Canadian veteran Charity Williams, a resident of Langford for a decade of training, and the last connection to the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian team.
“This is my third Olympics. In Rio, rugby sevens was just growing. In Tokyo, there were no fans allowed [due to the pandemic]. This was so exciting and loud out there in front of a crowd like this.”
Williams is now on the verge of her second Olympic podium.
• The No. 5-ranked Canada squad will meet No. 2 Australia (7 a.m. PT Tuesday) in the Olympic semifinals, while No. 1 New Zealand plays the No. 4 U.S. The winners meet for the gold medal at 10:45 a.m. PT on Tuesday; the semifinals losers play in the bronze-medal match at 10 a.m. PT.
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