The Olympics are becoming very real for the Langford-based Canadian women’s rugby sevens team as its roster was named Wednesday for the 2024 Paris Games.
University of Victoria Vikes players Krissy Scurfield, who converted from hockey in Canmore to rugby on the Island, and Carissa Norsten, the 2022 U Sports MVP and 2024 World Series rookie of the year, were named to the Olympic team for Paris and will provide one of the bookends. The other will be represented by Charity Williams, the last remaining connection to the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist team, yet only 27.
The comeback tale is represented by Caroline Crossley of Victoria, whose resolve has allowed the Oak Bay Secondary graduate and Castaway Wanderers product to rally to become an Olympian for Paris, after missing nearly two years from the national team due to injuries.
“We’re all centralized in Victoria and it’s exciting to be in Toronto [this week] before leaving for Paris,” said Keyara Wardley, one of three returnees from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team.
Canada goes in ranked No. 5 in the world with dreams of making the podium.
“We’ve built so much over the past three years. We are excited to put on a show in Paris and show the country what we have,” Wardley said during the roster announcement in Toronto.
“COVID was a huge part of Tokyo with an empty stadium, so to have family and friends in a full stadium will be amazing.”
The Olympic women’s rugby tournament runs July 28-30 at the Stade de France with Canada drawn into a difficult Pool A with defending 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion New Zealand, 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze-medallist Fiji and China.
“We’ve grown a lot. We trust in our system and trust in each other,” said Wardley.
The Olympic team captain Olivia Apps is made of stern stuff. Apps returned to training after being bitten by a cougar last month while hiking in Strathcona Provincial Park with another woman. One of their two dogs was also attacked by the cougar. The women bear-sprayed the cougar, which then fled. The women and their dogs were taken by helicopter and treated at Campbell River Hospital.
“Olivia has taken the leadership role on this team and has run with it,” said Wardley.
Apps said: “It feels really exciting to be able to share this milestone with a lot of my younger teammates.
“For me personally, I think Paris will be a different experience than Tokyo. To be able to have my friends and family there watching and having a full stadium is going to be different, and it does feel like my first Olympics in that way. Overall, with the growth this team has had since Tokyo, I think in the last year we’ve really started to find our stride.”
Also named to the Olympic roster are Fancy Bermudez of Westshore RFC, Alysha Corrigan, Chloe Daniels, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Piper Logan and Florence Symonds.
Missing will be injured Sophie de Goede of Victoria, one of the best players in the world, who blew out her ACL in training last week in a brutal blow to the team and personally for her.
“We are gutted for Sophie,” said Daniels.
“But we have confidence in our depth.”
Canada advanced to Paris by winning the women’s North American and Caribbean Olympic qualifying tournament held last August at Starlight Stadium.
The Canadian men’s sevens team, also based in Langford, did not qualify for the Paris Olympics after its quarter-final appearance at Tokyo 2020.
Canada placed second to the U.S. in the men’s North American and Caribbean Olympic qualifier for Paris 2024 held last summer at Starlight Stadium and placed fourth last month in the last-chance world qualifier in Monaco with South Africa earning the 12th and final berth into the Paris Olympics.
