VICTORIA – After a nail-biting lead-up, Rugby Canada ended the suspense by unveiling the women's sevens roster for the 2024 Olympic Games, spotlighting two of the University of Victoria Vikes brightest young talents who will don the maple leaf in Paris this summer.

UVic women's rugby standouts Carissa Norsten and Krissy Scurfield are set to make their Olympic debuts at the end of the month at just 20 and 21 years of age, adding their names to the history books and joining a prolific list of Vikes Olympians.

Norsten, who earned the 2022 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year award, made her senior national team debut at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Following her outstanding performance in Santiago, the Waldheim Saskatchewan product joined the HSBC Women's World Rugby SVNS Series for six stops, including the circuit's grand final in Madrid, Spain, between May 31 and June 2. Her outstanding performance on tour earned her HSBC SVNS Rookie of the Year honours.

As the youngest player on the roster, Norsten displays versatility and grit beyond her years that should come as no surprise; her father Moe played for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the late '80s and early '90s, earning team MVP in 1995. Heading to Paris, Norsten will look to continue to impress internationally in her Olympic debut.

Scurfield, who played two seasons with the Vikes, has become a mainstay on the Canadian sevens roster, leading this year's HSBC SVNS Series tied with teammate Charity Williams at 20 tries a piece. With lightning-fast speed, Scurfield is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players to watch, and with her ability to break away from the pack, she has already amassed 35 tries and 175 points on the sevens circuit.

Relatively late to the game, the Canmore Alberta product picked up rugby for the first time in Grade 9 after stepping away from competitive gymnastics. A self-proclaimed 'grinder,' Scurfield brings the explosive power of a gymnast combined with the speed and toughness of a hockey player. Athletically gifted from a young age, much like Norsten, talent runs in the family. Her father Allan represented Canada as diver in the 1983 Pan Am Games, and her mother was also an athlete.

"We are incredibly proud to see Carissa and Krissy named to the Olympic sevens squad. Krissy burst onto the sevens scene in 2021 and since then has solidified herself as a top contender in the world. Her speed is world class, but her tenacity is out of this world. Carissa made her debut just this last year and was electric out of the gate. She is a force to be reckoned with on both defence and attack and earned the Rookie of the Year Award for her strong performances," said Brittany Waters, UVic women's rugby head coach and Rugby Canada Hall-of-Famer.

"They are both talented and hard working, but more importantly they are great people and so deserving of this opportunity. We wish them all the best in pursuit of a gold medal."

Canada advanced to Paris by winning the women's North American and Caribbean Olympic qualifying tournament held last August at Starlight Stadium.

Women's rugby sevens will take place July 28 to July 30 (Day 2 to 4) at the Stade de France. Canada has drawn in Pool A, alongside New Zealand, Fiji and People's Republic of China.
 
Rugby Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada women's rugby sevens athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:

1. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, B.C.) - Castaway Wanderers
2. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, Ont.) - Lindsay RFC
3. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) - CRFC
4. Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, Ont.) - Toronto Nomads RFC / Westshore RFC
5. Chloe Daniels (Sutton, Ont.) - Aurora Barbarians / Queen's University
6. Charity Williams (Toronto, Ont.) - Markham Irish
7. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, B.C.) - University of British Columbia
8. Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, Sask.) - Kirin RFC / University of Victoria
9. Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, Alta.) - University of Victoria
10. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, Alta.) - NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC
11. Piper Logan (Calgary, Alta.) - Calgary Hornets / University of British Columbia
12. Keyara Wardley (Vulcan, Alta.) - Unaffiliated
Taylor Perry (Oakville, Ont.) - Oakville Crusaders - Alternate (Travelling)