VICTORIA – University of Victoria Vikes women's rugby player
Nicole Crowley is keeping busy over the summer as she will captain the B.C. Under 18 provincial team at the 2014 National Festival Championship, Aug. 5-10, in Calgary, Alta.
"It is a privilege to be able to lead such a talented group of girls into nationals and having the 'captain' title will not change how I perform on the field", said Crowley. Although competition is tough, like any team going into nationals we will be looking to walk away with gold. You have to be able to beat every team to win a championship and with seven games over five days that's what we will be striving to do."
This fall, Crowley will enter her second season with the Vikes and the Business major is no stranger to being a leader as she captained her high school team, Shawnigan Lake School XV's to third-place in the AA provincials for two-consecutive years.
"Before making team B.C., we have to compete for our region in the Provincial Rugby championships", adds Crowley. "Only having a short break from training with the Vikes to compete in summer rugby is tough; however, after playing at nationals I would have played against the best talent in the country for my age. This strong competition will be key for me when I come back to play for the Vikes in September.
The scrum half/fly half also acknowledges that despite her accomplishments so far, she is proudest of competing for the Vikes.
"Being able to learn and play along side talented players like
Kehla Guimond and
Laura Crowe-Hutchon allowed me to grow as a player and gain the confidence to play at the university level and hopefully beyond."
B.C.'s U18 provincial team will play a total of seven games in six days in the round-robin style tournament. Their first game is Aug. 5 against the 2012 national champions, Alberta. All matches will be played at Calgary Rugby Park.
For more information on the 2014 National Festival championships, visit:
www.cdnfestivalrugby.com BRITISH COLUMBIA FULL SCHEDULE:Tues. Aug 5, 9:00am: BC vs Alberta
Wed. Aug 6, 10:30am: BC vs Nova Scotia
Wed. Aug 6, 4:30pm: BC vs Manitoba
Thurs. Aug 7, 9:00am: BC vs Saskatchewan
Sat. Aug 9, 9:00am: BC vs Quebec
Sat. Aug 9, 1:30pm: BC vs Ontario
Sat. Aug 10, TBC: Placement / Playoff Rounds
