Laura Russell, a coach at Shawnigan Lake School and captain of the Cowichan Rugby Football Club’s premier women’s rugby team, was named Rugby Canada 2015 Women’s Fifteens Player of the Year during an awards ceremony at Government House in Victoria last month.
“It was amazing,” Russell said. “I couldn’t believe it. Everyone that gets nominated is so talented and well-deserving.”
A veteran of the national program, Russell is the captain of the national XV team, and, according to a Rugby Canada press release, “her leadership is a big reason why her team is one of the best in the world.”
The Canadian women’s team is ranked fifth in the world, and finished an unprecedented second to England at the 2014 Women’s World Cup, which Russell played in.
Russell grew up in Ontario, but moved to Vancouver Island to work at Shawnigan thanks to an opportunity provided by Rugby Canada, and also started to play for the Cowichan club, which she helped qualify for the B.C. Premiership this year.
Russell’s national XV team held a camp for athletes in Western Canada at Shawnigan in March, which Russell attended alongside Cowichan teammates Tyson Beukeboom and Brandi Van Eeuwen. The eastern camp wrapped up last week. Next up for the team is the Super Series in Salt Lake City with the U.S., France and England.
After the Olympics end and the players on the national sevens team are available, the national XV team will hold another camp with the top 40 players, then begin a year of preparation for the 2017 World Cup in Ireland.
The same weekend that Russell was honoured as Fifteens Player of the Year, her Cowichan teammates Van Eeuwen and Carolyn Gudmundseth received their long-awaited caps acknowledging games they played for the national team, during a ceremony at the Canada Women’s Sevens tournament in Langford.
