A Port Alberni girl who qualified to play in the B.C. Summer Games in rugby has forgone the opportunity.
Instead, ADSS Grade 12 student Keanna Mullen, 17, was named to the Team BC team that is headed to the National Championships being held next month in Quebec City.
Mullen was one of 25 girls who made the team, whose tryout numbers were peeled from the 65 who tried out.
“There were 30 of us that last day. They cut five players and I wasn’t one of them so I felt relieved,” Mullen said. “This was my biggest dream and I made it.”
Mullen is in distinguished company as Sarah Logan and Karli McFarlane are the only other players from Port Alberni who ever made the BC team.
Mullen, who is playing second line for Team BC, is fresh off a five-day training regime with her new team.
“That’s the hardest I’ve ever been trained in my life,” she said. “I would have been upset if I was cut but I wasn’t.”
Mullen became interested in girls rugby at age 13 after watching her older sister Tayla play with the Black Sheep. “They asked me to come out to practice. I did and I was hooked after that.”
In the five years since, Mullen has played with the ADSS Armada, Black Sheep and Tsunami Island rep team. She captains the Armada and won most improved player and MVP awards. Mullen was most recently instrumental player in the islands silver medal win at the Provencal regional championships July 6-8 at UBC.
The versatile Mullen plays scrum half, first row and second row on her teams. “I’ve slowly learned to play most positions so you can throw me somewhere and I’ve probably played there,” she said.
Next for Mullen is a five-day camp in Vancouver in early August before flying with her team to Quebec for tournament play Aug. 6-12.
SCRUM… Mullen is working to save money for the trip but needs help over and above what her job can provide. Anyone interested in donating funds to help her go to the tounament in Quebec can contact Armada coach Ryan Hall at 250-735-1661.
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