Kelly proud as Canadians regroup
CANADA 52 WALES 0
This was not the scenario they had hoped for, during all those hard practice sessions at Wallace Field on the University of Victoria campus, before departing for the 2017 World Cup in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
But the Canadian women’s rugby team, silver medallist in the last World Cup in 2014 at France, is making the most of being on the consolation side this time around.
Canada was ranked No. 3 heading in, but will play for fifth place against Australia on Saturday, after blanking Wales 52-0 on Tuesday in Belfast.
This is especially a letdown for veteran Kelly Russell, who returned this year to captain the Canadian XVs, after winning the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Canadian sevens last summer.
Russell, who coaches Brentwood College and plays club for Cowichan RFC, is making the most of being in the consolation round.
“I’m really proud of the way [the Canadian players] rallied together after a bit of a disappointment earlier this week,” Russell said in a statement.
She was referring to the 48-5 loss in pool play to No. 2 New Zealand that cost Canada a place in the championship semifinals after opening the tournament with a 98-0 victory over Hong Kong and a 15-0 win over Wales.
“We needed to come out strong and we did a lot of work on the breakdown, and the girls had something to prove today,” said Russell, who is accompanied at the World Cup by her Cowichan RFC teammates Tyson Beukeboom and sister Laura Russell.
“The girls executed great today, and our handling and ball security was much better. This is a strong group of women and I’m lucky to be surrounded by them.”
It was a romp Tuesday against the overmatched Welsh for players from the Westshore RFC (formerly Saanich-based Velox) powerhouse, which has won the B.C. championship four of the past five years.
Westshore mainstay Barbara Mervin, playing in her fourth World Cup, scored her first try of the 2017 Cup competition. Elissa Alarie led Canada with two tries while Westshore RFC teammate Brianna Miller added a try and five converts.
Westshore RFC is well represented in the World Cup with Mervin, Alarie, Miller, Emily Belchos, Latoya Blackwood and Chelsey Minter.
Karen Paquin, a Rio Olympics bronze medallist in sevens from the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay, also scored a try. The CW players in the World Cup include Paquin, Brittany Waters, Julianne Zussman and Olivia DeMerchant.
Other Canadian tries Tuesday came from Cindy Nelles of the Belleville, Ont., Bulldogs, Jacey Grusnick from the Barrhaven Scottish of Alliston, Ont., and a penalty try.