Odds are last week was the first time you heard Kelly Russell’s name, even though she’s one of Canada’s most decorated rugby players. After crushing the Brits 33-10 to win bronze, the 29-year-old can now add Olympic medalist to that resumé . Rugby sevens’ Olympic debut has garnered the sport hordes of new fans. The high intensity of seven-minute halves makes every game a nail biter, with an anything-can-happen feeling to the matches. We caught up with Russell—who got her start in rugby playing with the Toronto Nomads, a team that trains at Oakwood and St. Clair—and here’s what she had to say about what Rio’s like on the ground, Olympic swag, and the future of rugby.
Have you come down from the winning high?
It's pretty incredible to believe that we are Olympic medalists. It's still hitting me.
What were the first three things that went through your mind when the bronze medal game ended?
Happiness on taking the win, pride in the performance we had, and relief that we did it because we knew we could, we just hadn't been able to put our best game out on the field yet.
How long before you took your medal off or are you still wearing it?
There are a lot of people who are a part of this medal. Without our staff, family, friends and all of the rugby supporters out there we couldn't do what we do. So taking it off my neck and being able to put that medal around their necks and seeing the joy it brings them is all part of it for me.
How did the team celebrate the win? What was the party like? We want details!
Canada House put on a really nice celebration for us that we got to share with all of our family, friends and other Canadian supporters who have made the trip down to Rio.
You’ve competed and won medals on the international stage for years, what sets the Olympic experience apart?
It's unlike any other competition that we usually compete in with rugby. It's a multi-sport Games. You're a part of a larger Team Canada and you definitely feel a part of something bigger here. You grow up watching the Olympics and dreaming of competing in them one day, it's still hard to believe that I am here and have a bronze medal.
There was a lot of bad press about the organization of the Rio Games leading up to the event. Have you seen any evidence of panic on the ground?
Everything we have experienced so far has been positive. Our accommodation, transportation, facilities have all been just fine.
What was in your swag bag?
HBC put together some awesome gear for us. My favourite parts are the rain jacket and the sweat pants! Ha!
Which sport (other than rugby) are you most excited to watch?
Actually, I'm heading there as we speak. I'm really looking forward to catching some of the rowing.
How did the team rally after losing to Australia, and after having already lost earlier in the competition to GB 22-0?
We were obviously extremely disappointed with the loss. We are confident that when we play our best we can beat anyone and our goal was to bring home that gold medal. Unfortunately, we didn't execute, and that was hard for us to swallow. Sevens is different where you only have a small window of time between games. We knew we still had a shot at bringing home a medal, so we had to move on and start focusing on our next match. We went out with something to prove, not just to everyone watching, but to ourselves, we needed to put in a great performance, something we could be proud of, and we did.
What changed between your first two games where you blew the competition away and the third game against GB? Did nerves contribute to your first loss against GB, since you obviously had the skill to beat them?
We know we have the skill and ability to beat anyone so it definitely was mental for us. Great Britain is one of the top teams out there, so they will take advantage of your mistakes and that’s what they did. When we met them again we really wanted to focus on attacking as seven and increasing the pace of the game.
What does this mean for women's rugby in Canada? Is this really some kind of watershed moment for the sport?
I believe that it will definitely help contribute to the growth of rugby in Canada. We want to inspire young girls and boys to get involved in rugby and giving them a chance to see Canada successful on the Olympic stage is a good start.
The sports commentators said Team Canada always does a round of hugs in the tunnel before they come onto the rugby pitch; who started this ritual, and do you have any other team or individual rituals?
Yes, we do, we also have a sequence of claps that we do in the tunnel before the match as well. It's just a way for us to connect before the start of the game.
There’s a lot of reporting on the sometimes sexist reporting (Corey Cogdell and Katinka Hosszu come to mind) of the Games. Does that trickle through to the athletes? Are athletes affected by the reporting on the Games?
To be honest I haven't heard much of anything while we have been here. You can choose to read or hear about what is being said or choose to not. You're only affected by what you choose to be affected by.
Your sister Laura plays for Canada’s national 15-a-side rugby team, your other sister Jennifer coaches York University’s rugby team, and your dad, Sandy, also played rugby for the Toronto Nomads—are the Russells Canada’s rugby dynasty?
All I can say is we're a rugby family. We love the sport and everything it encompasses.
