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It was a letdown after the silver medal at the previous World Cup in France. But the Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 rugby team made the best of it on the consolation side by placing fifth in the 2017 World Cup in Ireland and Northern Ireland, following a 43-12 victory over Australia in Belfast on Saturday.
It was the final game on the Canadian sideline for head coach Francois Ratier after leading the Canucks through the last two World Cup campaigns.
鈥淔rancois has been amazing for women鈥檚 rugby in sa国际传媒, building us to where we are [today]. I want to give a big thank-you to him,鈥� Canadian captain Kelly Russell said in a statement.
Russell, who coaches Brentwood College and plays for Cowichan RFC, returned to XVs this year after winning the bronze medal last summer with the Canadian sevens at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
鈥淚鈥檓 just so proud to play with every one of these girls, and the support from the Canadians here and back home has been absolutely amazing.鈥�
sa国际传媒 finished 4-1 overall with its World Cup fortunes swinging on a key loss to eventual champion New Zealand, which denied the Canucks a place in the semifinals by the narrowest of margins.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of the girls and the effort they put out there. The heart was amazing all throughout the tournament,鈥� Russell said.
Scoring two tries each for sa国际传媒 on Saturday were veteran Julianne Zussman from the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay and Elissa Alarie from Westshore RFC.
Russell, Karen Paquin of CW, also an Olympic bronze-medallist in sevens, and Amanda Thornborough of Westshore scored the other Canadian tries.
Brianna Miller of Westshore and veteran Andrea Burk of North Shore had two conversions each.
Westshore RFC (formerly Saanich-based Velox), which has won the sa国际传媒 championship four of the past five years, was well represented in the World Cup with veteran Barbara Mervin, Alarie, Miller, Emily Belchos, Latoya Blackwood and Chelsey Minter.
Representing CW were Paquin, Zussman, Brittany Waters and Olivia DeMerchant. Kelly Russell had along her Cowichan teammates Tyson Beukeboom and sister Laura Russell.
New Zealand beat England 41-32 in the final to earn the Black Ferns their fifth World Cup.
