Canadian women's rugby team ready for World Cup challenge

Last August it was Canada's women's rugby sevens team that won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics and brought unprecedented attention to the sport in the country. One year later, the 15s national team is ready to seize its shot at glory at the Rugby World Cup.

"We can just feel the nation behind us," team captain Kelly Russell told CBC Sports before departing to Ireland for her third World Cup. Russell made her debut for Canada's national team in 2007 and was also a part of the medal-winning sevens squad before returning to 15s last fall.

"It's been an amazing journey seeing where this program has come to and where it definitely can still grow. In 10 years to see where we've come is pretty incredible."

The tournament runs Aug. 9-26 in Ireland.

There are 18 returning players from the Canada's runner-up appearance at the 2014 World Cup. That 21-9 loss to England in the final serves as both a motivator for future success as well as something to move on from.

"It's definitely something you look back on, but that was 2014, that was three years ago," Russell said. "We've moved past it, we've moved on, we've become a stronger team, a more connected team."

Unshakeable confidence, even as 'underdogs'

Canada enters the tournament ranked No. 3 in the world, prompting head coach François Ratier to describe the team as "underdogs, but quality underdogs."

The two teams above them? Longtime nemesis England at No.1 and pool opponent New Zealand, who has beaten Canada twice in the past 10 months. Canada is 4-4 since November.

"We always believe that we learn more from a loss, and right now I think the learning is done," veteran centre Andrea Burk said. "We're hungry and we're ready to win and we're ready to take this."

Fly half Emily Belchos echoed Burk's confidence.

"We know that they're so beatable," the 22-year-old from Innisfil, Ont. said. "Both times we played New Zealand, we've had amazing moments where we should have taken the game, and then we also made some mistakes."

Same intensity, renewed approach

Ratier said the team needs to be more efficient in the contact area — the post-tackle melee known as a ruck. "But,  we are pretty strong in the moving game, we are a pretty dynamic team. So we need to build on those strengths," he added.

Enter Magali Harvey. The electric winger whose performance at the last World Cup helped her earn World Rugby's women's player of the year honours, but she'd rather have a World Cup title on her mantle. 

"Honestly, I just want to play well for my team. I don't really care about the personal title," Harvey, who made headlines last summer after she was excluded from the Olympic sevens squad, told CBC Sports. "I'd much rather be the best player I can be for my team and for my team to perform well."

How To Talk Like A Rugby Player feat. Canada's Women's 15s Team

7 years ago

Duration 3:06

Want to watch rugby but not quite sure what the commentators are talking about? CBC Sport's Jacqueline Doorey get's 15s players Kelly Russell, Magali Harvey, Karen Paquin and Andrea Burk to explain.

Harvey returned to the 15s team after playing in New Zealand for Waikato. She credits that experience with shaping her approach to the game.

"I find that the style over there is completely different," the Quebec native said. "It's more about recognizing what strengths your teammates have and using those tools to help one another, while sometimes — especially in the sevens program — sometimes you're told exactly what to do."

Canadian rugby needs a win, especially after the men's national team failed to directly qualify for the 2019 World Cup and subsequently fired coach Mark Anscombe after just 16 months. The women's 15s team, which includes members of the bronze-winning Olympic squad, is ready to face those challenges.

"A lot of the girls have made some big choices, big sacrifices to put everything into the team," Russell said, referring to the career paths of players like Olympic medallist Karen Paquin. "It's a good combination of experience and new energy, so I think it's going to go really well."

For Belchos, the experience of 2014 makes her a young veteran poised to play a role in the team's present as well as its future. 

"There was definitely a lot of pressure on me then, but I think I dealt with it then and I'm just kind of used to it now," she said.