Port Colborne teen to play rugby at Youth Olympic Games in Argentina
Kendra Cousineau’s 17th birthday will be a unique one.
Instead of spending time with her family and friends in Port Colborne or with her homestay family in Langford, B.C., she’ll be on a rugby field in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The 16-year-old is playing for Team Canada at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in the South American country from Oct. 13 to 15 but will be there starting Thursday and until Oct. 20.
She left for Argentina, via Toronto, Wednesday after leaving the West Coast of Canada where she’s attending Belmont Secondary School.
“Obviously it’s very exciting and I’m very honoured to be going,” she said Tuesday afternoon in between classes.
Kendra moved to Langford this year to train at the Rugby Canada Development Academy and is staying with a family there while in Grade 12.
Making Team Canada was a goal she set for herself last year and one she worked very hard at. She said she was proud to reach it. Her next goal is to play for Canada in the Olympics.
“I think my family is pretty proud of what I have accomplished; they’re happy I’m doing what I enjoy.”
Her parents Sherri and Jim will be flying to Argentina to watch their daughter play but her sister, Korynne, is unable to attend.
“I think any parent would be proud … all the time and effort she’s put in. It’s a huge commitment in terms of what she’s done,” said Sherri.
Sherri said her daughter is doing what she loves and that the move to B.C. was left in her hands.
It was in early spring when her daughter received an email from Rugby Canada Development Academy asking to apply.
“She had to make a choice … a tough choice. She decided to give it a go.”
She said her daughter is in great hands at the development academy.
“She is with the cream of the crop out there,” said Sherri, adding it’s a very strong team that’s headed to Argentina.
Her daughter made Team Canada after tryouts in Las Vegas earlier this year.
It was in Sin City that Canada qualified for the Youth Olympic Games through winning the
North American and Caribbean Rugby Association competition in March, defeating the U.S. in the gold-medal final at Sam Boyd Stadium, according to Rugby Canada’s website.
Kendra said she connects well with the team, a mix of players from Ontario and out west.
“I’ve played with all of them.” Her start in rugby came with the Thorold-based Niagara Wasps three years and she also played for the Lakeshore Catholic High School Gators. She was also on back-to-back championship teams with the Ontario Junior Blues U16 squad.
Kendra has also played both the full game of 15s and 7s and has worked with both Rugby Ontario and Rugby Canada.
In the 15s game, there are 15 players per team on the field playing two 40-minute halves. Sevens sees seven players per side playing seven-minute halves.
She’ll be playing 7s in Buenos Aires where Team Canada will face Japan, France, New Zealand, Tunisia and Columbia in the round-robin stages.
Following those matches, Rugby Canada said the six countries will be reseeded based on results to decide the final round with medal opportunities on the line.