Logan gets shining chance at World Cup
Piper Logan, who turned heads at the Commonwealth Games in July in her rugby sevens international debut, will get another chance to shine on the world stage next week.
The 21-year-old from Calgary, named to World Rugby’s Women’s Dream Team after Canada’s fourth-place finish at the eightcountry Commonwealth competition in Birmingham, England, is on the Canadian roster for the Rugby World Cup Sevens, which run Sept. 9-11 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Logan, who plays for the UBC Thunderbirds, impressed at a “next generation” tournament held in tandem with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series stop April 30-May 1 in Langford, B.C. She and several other prospects were then invited to train with the senior women’s side.
“Originally it was to just bring her in to see if she enjoys the environment and see if she’s a longterm prospect,” said Canada coach Jack Hanratty. “And very quickly, as a group of coaches, we realized this is a now talent that we have. And it’s been just brilliant to have a fresh athlete who ‘s so young but has obviously developed so many great skills in our pathway, through province, through club and through university.”
Hanratty’s 13-woman roster features eight players aged 23 or younger, including 19-year-olds
Krissy Scurfield and Chloe Daniels. Julia Greenshields is unavailable through injury while fellow veteran Charity Williams is still getting back to match fitness after an injury layoff.
Breanne Nicholas, 28, and Olivia Apps, 23, serve as co-captains.
The veteran of the team is 30year-old Bianca Farella, who stands second on the World Series all-time women’s try-scoring list with 157.
The women’s competition in Cape Town kicks off with roundof-16 knockout matches. The fifthseeded Canadians open against No. 12 China with the winner moving on to face either the fourth-ranked U.S. or No. 13 Poland.
One loss and you’re out of championship contention.