Madison Minnis is hoping to take her rugby game to the next level as a member of Canada's U18 team.
The 17-year-old, who recently graduated from Barrie North Collegiate, where she served as the captain of the high school’s rugby team during her senior year, will be heading to Queen’s University in Kingston from Aug. 11 onward to participate in a week-long development camp.
“In order for me to get scouted for (the camp), you had to be on one of the U19 teams in Ontario … I played with Niagara (and) we played three games against each (of the) other regions and there were Canada scouts at the games," she said.
"They picked the top 40 (players) from all of the four teams and are putting them into a camp," Minnis added. "We don’t know full details yet … but I am really excited to learn and be able to find new ways to grow as a rugby player.”
The U18 program focuses on long-term athlete development, with the aim of strengthening the next year’s U19 Canadian Rugby Championships, with the support of the provincial unions, Rugby Canada high-performance director Stephen Aboud said in a news release
“Our goal is to provide an environment with an intentional performance development focus that is equal parts supportive as it is challenging,” said Jennifer Russell, U18 Women East head coach. “Players will finish the week with tools for individual deliberate practice and growing understanding of the mindset and characteristics required to play for Canada.
"We hope that players who attend camp will look back at it as an important and transformative experience in their rugby journey," Russell added.
Minnis says she learned she’d been selected via email, which she received last week while at work.
“A week before that I got a message from one of my friends (asking) if I’d gotten the Canada email. At the moment I hadn’t ... and then I lost a little bit of hope there because I didn’t know they were doing two sets of emails," said the Barrie teen. "She got the first email and I just assumed I didn’t make it.
“I knew I’d tried my hardest in all the games, so I (wasn’t) mad about it. Then I was at work and got an email saying I’d made it! I almost cried at work.”
Minnis, who has been playing rugby since she was a kid — she started playing contact rugby when she was 15 — is hoping the experience as part of the U18 Canada Rugby Team will ultimately help her become a better player.
“I am excited to meet new people and learn new things from them and learn new tactics,” she said.
The teen, who plays centre, told BarrieToday that in addition to the physicality of the sport, she’s enjoyed the sense of community she has gained since she started.
“I have met some of my best friends with this sport. Everyone has been so supportive,” she said.
Rugby, she acknowledged, is known as an aggressive sport, but ultimately she said it’s about having fun.
In an effort to cover some of the costs associated with the event, Minnis said her father has created a GoFundMe, which to date has already raised more than $1,700.
“I have to pay for schooling and it would have been really hard for me to work all those hours to make up the money for Canada … and I know I have lots of family and friends that would be able to help me,” she said. “I didn’t think it would get as much notice as it did. I only expected to get a couple hundred of bucks for it.”
Getting the support means a lot to her, she admitted.
“I am very appreciative to everybody. There was one from 'Charlie Button'. That’s my aunt’s dog … it was really funny. Just the fact they’re putting in this effort to see me reach my goals means so much. I know I have so much support behind me and that everyone is rooting for me. It’s just amazing.”
Minnis will be headed to the University of Guelph in the fall, where she will study freshwater marine biology. She says she hopes to be selected to play for the school’s rugby team.
“They scouted me … and I go to training camp Aug. 18 to 26 and that’s where they will make final cuts. I am not 100 per cent on the team, but I have a high chance.”
