Moncton rugger gets international assignment
Published Friday July 3rd, 2009
Julie Emmerson to play for Canada at Nations Cup event
Julie Emmerson knows first-hand the thrill of representing Canada on the international rugby pitch.
She can tell her new teammates all about it.
Emmerson, a 19-year-old Moncton native, is one of just two returning players on the Canadian women's under-20 national rugby team that will play in the Nations Cup tournament next week in London, England.
The four-team tournament, which runs from next Thursday to July 18, features national teams from Canada, United States, England and Wales.
Emmerson is no stranger to Canadian rugby teams. She played for Canada at the inaugural women's under-20 Nations Cup last summer in Oakville, Ont. and also suited up for the Canadian under-19 team on a tour of the United Kingdom.
"The feeling of making a national team never gets old. I certainly don't get tired of it," said Emmerson, who plays the prop position, essential to winning scrums and lineouts.
"Every year is different and there's so much heart that goes into each time you go away that it's a new experience each time. There's a new coach this year, so I'm going to try to learn as much as I can from him, and I can also learn from the younger girls on the team, too."
Emmerson was one of 60 players invited to the Canadian team tryout in Toronto in May and made the 26-women roster for the second consecutive year.
While Canada fielded two teams -- the national team and a secondary team after the U.S. withdrew -- at last year's Nations Cup, Emmerson is one of only two players back from Canada's national team one year later.
"It was the biggest and most important tournament of my life and a lot of pride went into it. Just being there and watching all the players and their skills gives you a lot to go home with," said Emmerson, who helped Canada reach last year's Nations Cup final, where it lost 30-7 to England.
"I would like to provide the team with a little bit of leadership this year, just because I've played in these matches before and a lot of our new girls haven't. It's such a thrill to represent Canada and I would just tell them that when they don't think they can go on any more, to just think of Canada, think of who they're playing for and think of who they're representing and that will give them a little edge to keep moving on."
Emmerson has already had a successful rugby season. She was a rookie on the St. Francis Xavier X-Women team that won the Atlantic University Sport conference championship last fall. The X-Women advanced all the way to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national final, where they fell 29-15 to the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
She hopes for more success in England. Canada opens the tournament Thursday against defending champion England.
"I like our team this year. We have more speed in the backfield as well as in our forwards, so that should give us a little edge. England is our biggest competition, those girls have been playing rugby for double the time that most of us have played in Canada," said Emmerson, who will enter her second year of studying business at St. FX in Antigonish, N.S. in the fall.
"We always go there to win, but most of all we just want to play our heart out and represent Canada the best we can. That's the most important part."
Emmerson plays with the Moncton Black Tide of the New Brunswick Rugby Union women's division. She won a pair of provincial high school girls rugby championships with the Harrison Trimble Trojans.
Stephanie MacKinnon of Rothesay was also selected to the Canadian team. MacKinnon played on Canada's second team at last year's Nations Cup. Olivia DeMerchant of Mapledale, near Woodstock, is a reserve with the team.
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