They have no business being this good. That’s the first thing to know. Not at this level. Not on this stage. They’re Canadians, not Kiwis or Brits. They weren’t born clutching oval-shaped balls. And yet if there was any doubt before, there is none now. They really are this good. Better, even. They just might be the best in the world.
On Friday, another chapter in one of the great stories in Canada’s sports history will be written at Ashton Gate Stadium, in Bristol, England. There, the Canadian women’s rugby team will take on the New Zealand Black Ferns — the most successful team in the history of the sport — in the semifinals of the Rugby World Cup.
Going by the world rankings, at least, the Canadians are the favourites. Don’t be alarmed if that shocks you. You’re not alone. How many Canadians know their country has the number-two ranked women’s rugby union team on the planet? (New Zealand, the reigning World Cup champion, is currently number three.
And yet, even those achievements — second in the world, semifinal favourites, in with a real chance to win it all — underplay how generationally special this team is. That’s why we’re writing this editorial, and it’s why we’re urging you to watch this game: you owe it to yourself to witness this team while you can.
Canada is not traditionally a great rugby power. The men’s national team is currently ranked 24th in the world, between Zimbabwe and Hong Kong. The women’s squad had to crowdfund just to get to this year’s World Cup. Even with that successful campaign, the team entered the 16-team tournament as the second- or third-least funded squad, according to Rugby Canada’s CEO.
But forget all that for a second. These aren’t the Bad News Bears. These are athletes who play a game of speed and violence at an astonishing level. They thrashed Australia in the quarterfinals 46 to 5. They have perhaps the most complete player alive in Sophie de Goede. To put it in football terms: de Goede, a Queen’s University graduate, would be something like Canada’s best offensive lineman, defensive lineman, running back, linebacker, place-kicker and occasional quarterback. Still, even that fails to capture just how good a player she is. And she isn’t alone.
The Canadians have speed in wingers Alysha Corrigan and Toronto-born Asia Hogan-Rochester. They have power in McKinley Hunt, from King City, and Karen Paquin, the deeply experienced flanker, who’s set to play her 50th game for her country on Friday. Best of all, they have a connection as a team that gives them an almost unsurpassed flow.
Make no mistake: New Zealand is an incredible team. There have been seven officially sanctioned Women’s Rugby World Cups. The Black Ferns have won six of them. But that’s what makes Friday’s game such an occasion: Canada can win. Its players just have to be better than they’ve ever been before to do it. What a wonderful thing it is that we’ll all have the chance to watch them try.
Sport, at its best, is a reminder of the good things about being alive. It can be a balm and an inspiration. It is proof, in a world that’s often chronically digital and online, that we are flesh. We have bodies. And there are few thrills greater than that of watching the best athletes alive push the outer limits of what their bodies can do.
So please do yourself a favour. Untether from the very real horrors of the world for two hours on Friday afternoon. If you’re a boss, find a TV in the office. Gather your team. Watch these 23 Canadian women (15 starters and eight back-ups) take a swing at greatness. You might see something sublime.
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