Darling announces Team Canada retirement
Hannah Darling announced her retirement from Canada’s national women’s sevens rugby team via Instagram on Sunday.
Darling, 22, a native of Warsaw, was one of the youngest players on Canada’s bronze medal winning sevens team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She also won a gold medal for Canada at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto. She helped Canada to a bronze medal in the Women’s Sevens World Series in 2015-16. She won a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in 2014.
“After a five-year whirlwind I have made the decision to retire from the Canadian team,” stated Darling, on Instagram. “Many things have led to my decision of moving back home to Ontario. I’d like to say thank you to my support systems who have helped me achieve such an amazing career. Thank you to my family, my partner Joanna, Tash, coaching staff, friends, Peterborough Pagans, my hometown and, of course, all of Canada for all the love, support and believing in me.
“I will never take for granted the opportunities I have been lucky enough to take part in. I hope to continue to move forward while continuing to inspire this younger generation in helping people with their own personal struggles.”
Darling did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The Examiner contacted Darling in August when she was not on Canada’s roster for a sevens world series event. At the time she declined an interview request stating by email, “I have been on break from rugby and everything for the past while. If it's alright to do an interview a bit later on in the year that would be great.”
In a recent interview, Canada coach John Tait said Darling had stepped away from the sport "for personal reasons" and was going back to school.
Darling move to British Columbia at age 17 to train with the national team program and made her international debut at an event in Hong Kong in 2014.