She carried the BC Summer Games torch into Abbotsford, and she hopes to leave the event carrying a medal.
Abbotsford’s Tausani Levale, who starts Grade 12 at Abbotsford Senior in the fall, is the team captain and most important player on the Fraser Valley girls rugby team at the Games.
She was one of three torchbearers at the Games torchlighting ceremony back in April, and since May has been helping bring out the best in her teammates during practices and pre-Games competitions.
“I’ve been looking forward to the Games for two years,” she said. “I knew all about them from when my sister played in 2014.”
Rugby is a family affair for Levale. Her sister Nakisa starred at Abbotsford Senior for years, and recently earned all-star recognition and a Canada West championship in her first year as a member of the University of Victoria Vikes. Nakisa also earned gold in rugby at the BC Summer Games, a feat Tausani wants to match.
“My dad is Samoan so rugby has always been there,” she said.
Levale added to her family’s strong 2016 by winning a gold medal for BC in the National 7’s tournament earlier this year.
On the opposite spectrum of the experience side is Levale’s teammate Tayler Bailey.
The Grade 11 Robert Bateman Secondary student is in her first year in the sport, but she’s proven to be a quick study.
“I used to dance and I first started hearing about rugby in Grade 8 when a bunch of my friends were playing,” she said. “I started not having fun with what I was doing and my friends suggested I give rugby a try and I’ve really loved it.”
Bailey said being named to the team was a thrill.
“I had to try out and when I heard that I had made the team I was so excited that I was jumping up and down,” she said. “I’ve never experienced making a team before so this was really exciting and it’s been an amazing experience so far.”
Since May, the pair have been working with a number of other Fraser Valley female talent to build chemistry for the Games. Led by head coach and Aldergrove Secondary teacher Stuart Crowley, the pair thinks they have a good chance to earn medals.
“I feel like we have a lot of skill,” Levale said. “Crowley’s goal is to make us a good team, and I think a lot of other teams have individual talent so if we work well as a team we will have a chance to win.”
Crowley said Bailey and Levale are important pieces of his team.
“Tayler is a sponge,” he said. “She’s very eager to learn and quick to fix mistakes. She’s very athletic, fast and strong and has excellent control of her movements from all of her time in dance.
“Tausani is one of our best players and while she may not be a vocal leader, her play speaks volumes,” he said. “She executes consistently and there is no ego on her. She asks great questions and always wants to make sure she’s doing the right thing. She’s been a great person to coach.”
Crowley said he expects his team to have a strong tournament.
“I would say we have a ton of talent and skill and I’m really happy with how we’ve progressed so far,” he said. “It’s a matter of us working on the same system and all getting on the same page.”
He said the expectation is to have the club on the podium at the Games.
“Our goal has been to win gold since day one,” he said. “The Fraser Valley has always been a strong rugby region and I think we’re going to be a difficult team to play against. We’re going to be sound defensively and we’re going to have good attacking. I don’t want to sound overconfident but we expect to medal and we want to win gold.”
Levale and Bailey are joined on the team by Abbotsford residents Kashish Arya, Hunter Czeppel, Cheye Gustafson, Chaylin Roueche, Shalaya Valenzuela and Liriel Yurick.
Rugby occurs at Rotary Stadium and kicks off on July 22.
The Games run from July 21 to 24 in Abbotsford, Langley and Harrison Hot Springs.
For more on the Games, visit bcgames.org.
