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Greenshields going for Olympic gold in rugby sevens

Julia Greenshields wants to end her first Olympic Games by standing on top of the podium in Tokyo.

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Julia Greenshields is coming up on her 10th year with the Canadian women’s rugby sevens program.

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What better way to celebrate than with gold?

The Sarnia native wants to end her first Olympic Games by standing on top of the podium in Tokyo.

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“It’s really exciting,” said Greenshields, 29. “I’m nervous and anxious, but I think I’m always nervous and anxious for tournaments in general. I’m kind of just hoping it will subside once I get on the pitch, which it usually does.

“I’ve never been to an Olympic Games before. Obviously this year we were without a lot of competition, but it’s really cool to finally say, ‘I’ve been at this for 10 years and the hard work’s paying off.’

“I might be wild enough to even stick it around for another three years and try the Paris Olympics afterwards.”

Might be? Later in the conversation, Greenshields leaves no doubt she wants to play in the 2024 Games. But first she’ll take a break.

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“I’m going to take some time off after this Olympics, take care of myself,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years, haven’t really had a break. I think my mind and my body will need a break afterwards.

“And I’m definitely gunning for 2024. I am going to stick around. I’m also attending school out here, so I’ll be trying to juggle it all.”

She’s enrolled at Camosun College in Victoria, B.C. Rugby Canada’s national sevens teams are centralized in the city, a hotbed for the sport.

“Rugby is everywhere here,” Greenshields said. “You can’t escape it. Even if I’m not with the team 24-7, I still have access to the gym, I can still run around, I can still kick the ball around.

“It’s not like I’m going to cut myself off completely from rugby.”

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The Canadian women won bronze when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games.

They’ll try to improve on that result when pool play begins against Brazil on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Canada will also play Thursday against Fiji at 3:30 a.m. and France at 8:30 p.m.

The playoffs get underway early Friday morning.

Greenshields was left off the Olympic roster for Rio. She’s clear-eyed about why.

“I had a pretty solid understanding that I was not good enough,” she said. “Like, I wasn’t surprised by selections. I was 19 when I moved out here. I was the youngest one on the team. I spent the first year and a half injured.

“Obviously cheered my team on, was so stoked for them to win bronze. It was no negative feelings towards anyone. I was very happy and very excited for everyone and happy just to be a part of the team.

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“I think actually after the Olympics, probably 2016-17, I really found my stride and my level of play really improved. Yeah, it sucks to not go, but it was really exciting to be a part of the team and cheer them on. No negative or hard feelings about it at all.”

Julia Greenshields, left, of Sarnia, Ont., and Breanne Nicholas of Blenheim, Ont., are first-time Olympians on the Canadian women’s rugby sevens team for the 2021 Tokyo Games. (Kevin Light)
Julia Greenshields, left, of Sarnia, Ont., and Breanne Nicholas of Blenheim, Ont., are first-time Olympians on the Canadian women’s rugby sevens team for the 2021 Tokyo Games. (Kevin Light)

Although the Sarnia Saints Rugby Football Club has sent many players to Canada’s national team programs, Greenshields is the first to reach the Olympics.

“The club is very proud of what Julia’s hard work and commitment have earned her,” past president Chris Groombridge said. “All of Sarnia should be proud of her.

“Julia still, even though she has trained at the national rugby centre in B.C. for several years, always lets people know that she is from Sarnia and that she began her rugby with the Sarnia Rugby Club.”

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The St. Clair Secondary School graduate was recruited by Rugby Canada soon after she moved to London for university.

“I played a couple tournaments at Western University and I was scouted from there,” she said. “They asked me to move out and join the team in 2012, so I withdrew from university and I just packed up and moved out to Victoria.”

She’d played only rugby 15s until Rugby Canada invited her to sevens tournaments in Barbados and Dubai.

“I guess I performed well enough that they saw something in me and they asked me to join the team permanently,” she said.

Canada was third overall in the 2019-20 season on the World Rugby Sevens Series and won medals in four of five tournaments. Canada was also third overall in 2018-19 after medalling at four of six events.

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Players are confident they can collect another medal in Tokyo.

“I do think that there is a lot of pressure and high hopes for us to medal,” Greenshields said. “I think when we as a team reflect on international competition over the last five years, we have consistently remained top-three.

“We were playing so well (before the shutdown). … Unfortunately the pandemic halted our progress but we were playing so well. Personally, I have so much confidence and belief in our team that we are definitely podium finishers.”

Six players return from the 2016 Olympic team, but Greenshields isn’t sure how much their experience will help at a Summer Games unlike any held before.

“They’re willing to answer any questions that we have, but as of right now I’m treating this like another tournament,” she said. “I don’t know what to expect when we get to the Olympic village. There’s going to be no fans in the stands, so it’s going to be pretty quiet.

“It’s like, how can you prep for something that you’ve never even seen or experienced before? This Olympics is going to be different for absolutely everyone.”

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