A pair of Abbotsford rugby talents both suited up for the Canadian national rugby 7s senior women’s team in Dubai and are wearing the red and white in Cape Town, South Africa this weekend.
Abbotsford products Nakisa Levale and Shalaya Valenzuela hit the pitch in South Africa from Friday (Dec. 9) to Sunday (Dec. 11) and there is a possibility that both could be in the lineup when the World Women’s Rugby 7s Series comes to Vancouver’s BC Place in March.
Canada opened with a 19-14 loss to the United States in Dubai on Dec. 2 and also lost 33-5 to Samoa later that day. They ended the day with a 28-14 win over Japan to finish pool play at 1-2.
Quarter-final action saw Canada fall 17-7 to Kenya on Dec. 3, but then bounce back with a 29-0 win over Uganda later that day. Canada closed the event with a 38-7 loss to Spain. The team earned a total of four points in Dubai and sit in ninth place in the 13-team series.
Canada opened the South Africa event with 19-19 tie to France and a 24-7 loss to the United States on Friday. Canada takes on Japan on day two of the event.
The 25-year-old Levale is a 2015 Abbotsford Senior Secondary School grad and played for the Panthers and the Abbotsford Rugby Football Club locally. She helped the Panthers win two AA provincial titles in rugby. She went on to play university rugby with the University of Victoria Vikes and was named a Canada West all-star and helped the Vikes win a CW title in 2016.
Following her time in Victoria she went on to represent Canada in the sport several times internationally before joining the Canadian rugby 7s senior women’s team.
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Valenzuela is a Yale Secondary grad who has also played with ARFC and the Victoria Vikes. She made her national debut earlier this month at the Dubai event. Valenzuela spent two years in the Rugby Canada Maple Leaf Academy and played for the BC Bears U23 team this past summer.
She also spent time with the UFV Cascades women’s rugby program and represented both B.C. and Canada on the national and international stage as a junior player.
For more on the team, visit rugby.ca/en/rugby-7s/senior-women.