Fresh off a third-place finish in the Rugby World Sevens in Dubai, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute grad Ghislaine Landry is looking forward to competing on home soil next year.
Landry is a key member of the Canadian Women’s Rugby Sevens team, which has risen in recent years to become a force on the international circuit.
The squad will be competing at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, giving the athlete a chance to showcase her skills in front of a friendly crowd.
"I’m so excited; I’ve never been able to play at home," she said. "My friends and family occasionally come to tournaments but it will be great to be able to play in front of so many family members. I think I’ve already booked about 50 tickets."
Landry got her start in rugby while she was a student at Lawrence Park, taking after her older sister who had also played. She proved a natural at the sport and worked her way onto the provincial under-17 squad before earning spots on the provincial and national under-19 teams.
"The older girls (at Lawrence Park) all coached the younger girls and they really helped me along," she said.
Landry has played both 15s and sevens, but prefers the latter, with fewer players on the pitch leaving plenty of open space for her to use her speed to full advantage. She counts her speed and agility alongside her status as a veteran presence on her current squad as some of her key strengths.
"We have a really good leadership group and all the senior players are a part of that, with each of us bringing our own leadership style," she said. "We all take part in bringing along the younger girls, showing them the game and teaching them."
The former Forest Hill resident now lives year-round in British Columbia to train with the team. The women’s closeness has helped them immensely in improving their game, though Landry feels they still have more to give.
"We finished third (in their recent early-December tournament in Dubai), which isn’t exactly what we wanted," she said. "We had an unfortunate semifinal, but we were able to rally for the third-place game."
Should the team continue to build on its current success, it could qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the first time women’s rugby will be an Olympic sport.
Landry hopes that, paired with the squad’s Toronto 2015 appearance, inspires more young Canadian girls to take up rugby.
"I just want to show people how exciting and good the women’s game is – how fast it is and how high the quality is," she said. "If we get more girls involved at a younger age, we can keep building the team."
Rugby sevens will take place at CIBC Pan Am Park, the former Exhibition Stadium, for the Toronto 2015 games. The gold medal game is scheduled for Sunday, July 12.
Tickets are available for all at www.toronto2015.org/tickets
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