12 athletes are ready to tackle one of the biggest stages in the world as Team Canada has named the women’s rugby sevens athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Canada’s Olympic roster includes three players returning from Tokyo 2020: Olivia Apps, Keyara Wardley, and Charity Williams. This will be the second Olympic appearance for Apps and Wardley and the third for Williams.
“It feels really exciting to be able to be part of this group and especially to be able to share this milestone with a lot of my younger teammates. Watching them have this experience for the first time is exciting and fulfilling,” said Apps, who will serve as team captain. Since making her SVNS Series debut in 2018, Apps has represented Canada in several major tournaments, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 and 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
The 25-year-old veteran has also made appearances with Canada’s women’s rugby (15s) team, including at the recent Pacific Four Series along with Fancy Bermudez, which Canada won for the first time with a historic victory over New Zealand.
“For me personally, I think Paris will be a different experience than Tokyo. To be able to have my friends and family there watching and having a full stadium is going to be different, and it does feel like my first Olympics in that way. Overall with this group and the growth that this team has had since Tokyo, I think in the last year we’ve really started to find our stride. There’s been a lot of confidence built this year and we’ve seen a lot of our young players really step up and take on some big roles on and off the pitch. I’m really excited to be able to put it all together and have the consistency that we’ve shown this season translate onto the field in Paris. I’m proud of the group and honoured to be able to be part of this for a second time.”
In her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, Williams was a member of the team that won bronze in the first ever women’s Olympic rugby sevens tournament. She was tied with teammate Scurfield as Canada’s leading try scorer this season on the HSBC SVNS Series – both securing 20 tries prior to the Olympic tournament.
Seven players (Caroline Crossley, Alysha Corrigan, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Chloe Daniels, Charity Williams, Carissa Norsten, and Piper Logan) played for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games where they won the silver medal.
Norsten, who made her senior debut with Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team in Santiago, will look to continue to impress internationally in her Olympic debut. Norsten was the 2022 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and the 2024 HSBC SVNS Women’s Rookie of the Year.
Daniels, who debuted with the senior national sevens team in 2021 at the age of 18, will be Canada’s vice-captain. She led Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team in points on the 2024 HSBC SVNS Series with 131.
“It’s hard to believe that the Olympic Games are just a few weeks away,” said Daniels. “Our journey this year has been incredibly inspiring for the team, boosting our confidence in competing for an Olympic medal. The dedication and hard work from both the players and staff throughout the year have prepared us to perform at our best, and we’re ready to tackle any challenges that come our way.”
Canada’s women’s sevens team qualified for Paris 2024 on home soil in Langford, B.C. last August at the 2023 Rugby Americas North Sevens regional qualification event, going undefeated and defeating Mexico 53-0 in the final.
The 2024 HSBC SVNS season opened in December 2023, with Canada starting strong in Dubai with a fourth-place performance, beating Ireland in the quarterfinals and playing a tight match against New Zealand in the semifinals.
Canada played in the third place play-off at three more stops throughout the season, headlined by their bronze medal in front of a home crowd in Vancouver. They finished fourth in Los Angeles and ended the season ranked fourth in the world after a strong performance at the 2024 HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid that saw Canada beat New Zealand in pool play for the first time since 2016. Prior to this season, Canada hadn’t played in a SVNS Series semifinal since February 2020. Canada won its first Olympic rugby medal at Rio 2016 when the women’s rugby sevens team captured bronze in the discipline’s inaugural Olympic tournament. At Tokyo 2020, Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team did not advance from the group stage.
Women’s rugby sevens will take place July 28 to July 30 (Day 2 to 4) at the Stade de France. Canada has drawn in Pool A, alongside New Zealand, Fiji, and People’s Republic of China.
Team Canada Women’s Rugby Sevens Athletes at Paris 2024:
Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC)
Olivia Apps (Lindsay, Ont.)
Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI)
Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, Ont.)
Chloe Daniels (Sutton, Ont.)
Charity Williams (Toronto, Ont.)
Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC)
Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, SK)
Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB)
Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB)
Piper Logan (Calgary, AB)
Keyara Wardley (Vulcan, AB)
