Maggie Mackinnon, Oliva Newsome, and Maddy Grant will all be returning to the team, coming off of a season playing with team Canada
Photo of Maddy Grant by Chase Carter, via govikesgo.com.
With the end of another summer comes the beginning of another rugby season, and this one is looking promising for the Vikes.
Last year, the Vikes Women’s Rugby Team ended the season with a bang. The Vikes won 18–17 against the UBC Thunderbirds in the final minutes, and left the field with the Canada West Champion banner for the first time in ten years.
Coach Brittany Waters and player Carissa Norsten walked away from that game with the accolades of Coach of the Year and The Rugby 15s Player of the Year, respectively. To say it was a good season for the team would be an understatement.
Though they had a great season, the team had to say goodbye to some star players, including Soleil Brooks, the most capped women’s player in Vikes history, and Vanessa Chiappetta, recipient of Nike Player of the Game for the U Sports Semifinal.
“The leaders and returning players from the team last year have stepped up, and are setting a high standard for the team. We also have a very talented group of recruits that have collectively closed the gap between rookies and vets compared to previous years, making it a competitive and exciting atmosphere,” Coach Waters said in an emailed statement to the Martlet.
Some key returners to the team are Maggie Mackinnon, Olivia Newsome, and Maddy Grant –– who is coming off of a season playing with Canada’s senior national women’s team.
Mackinnon plays as fly/centre, and is one of the fourth year returning players. Last season during the Vikes’ Canada West championship and U SPORTS silver-medal campaign, Mackinnon appeared in all 10 matches. Mackinnon has an impressive line up of accolades including Canada West All-Star, and played for Canada West 7s Dream Team. Waters said she will be a key player this year.
Newsome, a returning fourth year player for the Vikes team, will be another key player, according to Waters. She plays as a centre, and led the Vikes in scoring in the Canada West semifinals. Newsome has earned U SPORTS Tournament All-Star honors, Canada West BioSteel Player of the Week, and also played on the Canada West 7s Dream Team.
Hailing all the way from Cornwall, Ontario is back Maddy Grant. Grant rostered for seven matches and scored five tries her debut year as a Vike, and has been playing for team Canada since 2022. She also had a short appearance on the U.K. club Harlequins’ roster to cover for an injury.
Grant is a triple threat with years of experience, and great athleticism, and will certainly be someone to watch this upcoming year.
Another key returning player is centre Larah Wright, who will be joining the team later in the Spring, as she is taking an opportunity to play overseas during the fall.
“Our goal is to continue to raise our standard on and off the field, including our team culture, work ethic off field and performances on field,” Waters said in an emailed statement to the Martlet.
“We would love another opportunity in the USPORT Nationals Final, and to continue to raise the level of rugby in USPORT.”
In addition to returning players are two wild cards from Eastern Canada. Joining the Vikes on the field this year from Guelph’s Women’s Rugby team are fifth-year Emilie Nicholl –– who has also played with the senior national women’s team –– and fourth-year Kendra Cousineau.
“Everyone has been working very hard since the last Nationals and are eager to get back to playing some incredible rugby and competing at every moment and every game,” Waters said.
The Vikes next match will be against Lethbridge at Wallace Field on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. Tickets are available here.
