Brittany Waters enters her 11th year as the head coach of the Vikes women’s rugby program in 2025-26. Waters previously served as an assistant coach for the Vikes prior to being elevated to head coach ahead of the 2015 season.
The Vikes have medalled each year at the Canada West Championships under Waters' watch, bringing home gold in 2015, silver in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and bronze in 2019 (no competition in 2021 due to COVID-19).
Following a 4-1 record in Canada West play that saw the Vikes capture its first win over UBC since 2019, the Vikes went 1-1 at the Canada West Final Four to repeat and silver medallists and punch their ticket to the national championships. Defeating top seed Laval and fifth seed Queen's in the first two rounds, the Vikes returned to the national final for the second-straight season. Ultimately falling to UBC, 8-3, the Vikes captured their second-straight U SPORTS silver medal in 2024. Emily Findlay, Summer Blackmore, Carissa Norsten, and Maya Addai each earned both Canada West All-Star and U SPORTS All-Canadian honours for the Vikes. In 7s action, the Vikes repeated as Canada West silver medallists with an 11-4 overall record.
Waters' squad had a historic year in 15s play in 2023, going 3-2 in Canada West play and 1-1 at the Canada West Final Four, falling in the gold medal match to claim the program's third-straight silver medal. Entering the U SPORTS Championships as the eighth seed, the Vikes took down top-seeded Ottawa in the quarterfinals and fifth-seeded Guelph in the semifinals to clinch the program's first-ever appearance in the U SPORTS final. Ultimately falling to Laval, the second-place finish marked the program's highest-ever finish and first-ever medal at the U SPORTS championships. Soleil Brooks was named the 2023 Canada West and U SPORTS Community Service Award winner, while
Zoe Williams and
Maggie MacKinnon were named U SPORTS First Team All-Canadians and
Madison Jumeau and
Lucie Romeo earned Second Team All-Canadian accolades. Williams, MacKinnon and Romeo also earned Canada West All-Star honours alongside Maelle Reed.
Going 16-3 in 7s action during the 2024 season, the Vikes captured the Canada West silver medal for the second-straight year, and won their first five games at the national championships before falling to in-province rivals UBC in the gold medal match to take national runner-up honours.
Going 3-1-1 in Canada West play and capturing the silver medal in Canada West 15s play, the Vikes hosted the 2022 U SPORTS Women's Rugby Championships, finishing sixth overall and ending the season with a 5-4-1 record. In 7s action, the Vikes compiled a 15-5 overall record, taking second in Canada West action and third at the Canadian University championships.
Under Waters’ watch, the 2021-22 season saw the Vikes capture its highest-ever finish at the U SPORTS championships (fourth), a silver medal at the Canada West 15s championships, and fourth-straight Canada West 7s conference title following a second-straight undefeated season.
In March 2017, Waters guided the Vikes to the inaugural Canadian University 7s national championship title, marking the first national championship in program history. When the tournament was held again in 2019, the Vikes went undefeated at the tournament to claim their second national title.
In her first season at the helm of the program in 2015, Waters led a very young Vikes roster to their first-ever Canada West championship banner win, leading to Canada West Coach of the Year honours for Waters. The Vikes also earned their first U SPORTS (formerly CIS) championship appearance, picking up victories in the consolation round to finish fifth in the country.
Returning to the national stage in a coaching capacity, Waters has been an assistant coach with Rugby Canada’s senior 7s team since November 2021.
Waters was a member of the Rugby Canada women’s national 15s and 7s teams from 2008-17 and was a member of the centralized 7s program. She participated in two 7s World Cups (2009, 2013), earning a silver medal in 2013 in Moscow. Waters has also participated in two 15s World Cup tournaments, most recently winning a silver medal at the World Cup in Paris. Waters retired in December 2017 from the national 15s team after representing Canada at the World Cup in Ireland. In the spring of 2021, Waters, along with the rest of her National Senior Women's Rugby 7s team got inducted into the Rugby Canada Hall of Fame following their historic 2013 season.?
A five-year member of the UVic rugby program, Waters was named a U SPORTS All-Canadian in 2005.
Waters holds a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Victoria and a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia.
ARTICLES
February 2020:
Rugby Canada announces 2019 Hall of Fame inductees
December 2017:
Vikes coach Waters hangs up boots for international playing career
MAJOR AWARDS
CANADA WEST CHAMPIONSHIP (5): 2015 (15s), 2018 (7s), 2019 (7s), 2020 (7s), 2022 (7s)
CANADA WEST COACH OF THE YEAR (1): 2015
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY 7s CHAMPIONSHIP (2): 2017, 2019
| BRITTANY WATERS RECORD (U SPORTS / CW 15s) |
| Year |
Overall |
Conference |
Notes |
| 2015 |
6-3 |
4-2 |
CW Champions, CIS 5th |
| 2016 |
4-4 |
3-1 |
CW Silver, U SPORTS T-7th |
| 2017 |
4-2 |
3-1 |
CW Silver |
| 2018 |
3-2 |
3-2 |
CW Gold |
| 2019 |
4-1 |
4-1 |
CW Bronze |
| 2021 |
5-5 |
3-2 |
CW Silver, U SPORTS 4th |
| 2022 |
5-4-1 |
3-1-1 |
CW Silver, U SPORTS 6th |
| 2023 |
6-4 |
3-2 |
CW Silver, U SPORTS Silver |
| 2024 |
7-2 |
4-1 |
CW Silver, U SPORTS Silver |
| OVERALL |
44-27-1 |
30-13-1 |
|
| BRITTANY WATERS RECORD (CW 7s) |
| Year |
Overall |
Conference |
Notes |
| 2017 |
16-2 |
10-2 |
CW Silver, NTL 7s Champions |
| 2018 |
18-0 |
18-0 |
CW Champions (No NTL 7s this year) |
| 2019 |
20-3 |
14-3 |
CW Champions, NTL 7s Champions |
| 2020 |
15-0 |
15-0 |
CW Champions (No NTL 7s this year) |
| 2022 |
15-0 |
15-0 |
CW Champions (No NTL 7s this year) |
| 2023 |
15-5 |
11-4 |
CW Silver, NTL 7s Bronze |
| 2024 |
11-4 |
11-4 |
CW Silver (No NTL 7s) |
| OVERALL |
110-14 |
94-13 |
|
