Rugby sevens squad rides ’emotional roller coaster’ to Olympic silver

There’s an old saying that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. At Paris 2024, Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team certainly proved they’re good enough.

The Canadians surpassed many people’s expectations at this year’s Olympic Games, winning a first-ever silver medal on Day 4. That result capped an Olympic run that included upset wins over France and Australia, and a highly competitive final against New Zealand.

“We started the year off at ninth and now we’re ending the Olympics with a silver medal,” said 21-year-old Chloe Daniels, who scored Canada’s first try of the final. “I think that goes to show all of our hard work throughout this entire year.”

Daniels is among a group of first-time Olympians who played important roles in Paris, along with the likes of Piper Logan, 23, Florence Symonds, 22, and Fancy Bermudez, 22.

“We have a very young team,” said Daniels. “So hopefully 2028 will come with some more experience going to the Games and yeah, it’s it’s super exciting.”

READ: Team Canada’s women’s rugby players put trust in one another at Paris 2024

It will be much more Olympic experience than Canada came into the Paris Games with.

Only three players (Charity Williams, Keyara Wardley and captain Olivia Apps) were part of Canada’s squad at Tokyo 2020. And only Williams was part of the Canada team that won bronze at Rio 2016.

But even her place at these Olympics wasn’t assured. She underwent a pair of surgeries and missed nearly two years of action following the Tokyo Games.

“This is my first full season back,” said Williams, a relative veteran at age 27. “So that in itself was just such a grind, such a battle.”

Williams was Canada’s top scorer in Paris with five tries, often punctuating them with a somersault over the goal line. But she was quick to shine a light on the rest of the 12-player squad.

“The girls put everything out there,” she said. “I’m so proud. I mean, half this team is under the age of 25. And we just got a silver medal.”

While the silver medal is a history-making achievement, there were moments in the final when a gold seemed within reach. Canada actually went into halftime with a two-point lead over New Zealand, who are now two-time Olympic gold medallists.

But New Zealand took the lead back very quickly in the second half, and would hold on for the victory.

“Sevens is definitely an emotional roller coaster but you just have to stay in the moment,” said Canada’s Caroline Crossley. “You have to play whistle to whistle, you have to take it in three-second chunks because so much can change so fast.

“There’s a whole range of all human emotions. There’s disappointment, there’s pride, there’s sadness, there’s love for my team. It’s just everything I could possibly feel like I’m feeling right now.”

But there’s another feeling that this result has inspired within the team and beyond: hope.

This team is hoping that, like other Canadian teams in the past, their Olympic performance can light a generational spark within their sport.

“I’m hoping that this gives more excitement and more press to rugby sevens,” said Crossley. “It’s such a great sport and we have so many talented players in Canada.”

Added Daniels: “I hope we’ve inspired some young girls in Canada to join rugby and grow the game.”

Who knows: perhaps some of those young girls could be lining up alongside their fellow Canadians at Los Angeles 2028.

After all, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.