Gillian Florence is a Canadian rugby union player who has participated in five world cups (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010). Starting out as a prop on the national team, she became one of Canada's top flankers.
| Place of birth | Hudson, Quebec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| School | Hudson High John Abbott College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | McGill University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Technical writer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Florence first started playing rugby in high school (1987–1992) in Grade ten[1] and John Abbott College (1992–1994).[2] Her first cap was at the 1994 Women's Rugby World Cup, at the age of 18, and retired in 2011.[3] She represented Quebec for eighteen years and played for Ste. Anne de Bellevue for twenty-two years.
Having played one season with McGill University in 1995–1996, her national schedule conflicted with the university team's schedule.[4]
She was a member of the World XV that played against the New Zealand Black Ferns in 2003.[3]
Florence became an assistant coach for the McGill Marlets in 2008, a decade after graduating.[2]
In 2011, Florence, along with Brooke Hilditch and Megan Gibbs protested Canada's "pay-to-play" system for women in non-World Cup years by refusing to pay the $2,900 to play in the 2011 Nations Cup.[5] After retiring, she coached her club, Ste Anne de Bellevue, in 2012 and 2013.[1] She is now on the Monty Heald Fund committee which aims to eliminate the "pay to play" experience.[6]
She returned to the rugby pitch in 2017 and suited up for the Nova Scotia Keltics.[7]
Honours
edit- 1995 CIS All-Conference honours
- 1998 named one of McGill's top 20 athletes of all time (McGill Tribune)[8]
- 1994 World Cup game MVP at her test debut[9]
- 2003 All World team[9]
- 2017 Rugby Canada Hall of Fame inductee (first woman in the hall of fame)
- 2018 John Abbott College Hall of Fame inductee[10]
An annual Rugby Canada award is named in her honour and is given to a "player who best represents the qualities of Canadian rugby as voted by her teammates."[3] Recipients include Andrea Burk (2014),[11] Barbara Mervin (2015),[12] Julianne Zussman (2016),[13] Kelly Russell (2017),[14] Laura Russell (2018)[15] and Olivia DeMerchant (2019).[16]
Personal life
editIn 1998, she graduated from McGill University with a bachelor's degree in Education. In Montreal she worked for Caterpillar, for Ultra Electronics in Nova Scotia, and now Kinduct in Halifax.[4] She moved to rural Nova Scotia when she was eight months pregnant. She lives with her partner, firefighter Aaron Graham, is mother of two children.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Parry, James (February 23, 2017). "Former Hudson High student hooked on rugby inducted into new Canada Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "McGill grad Gillian Florence selected for induction to Rugby Canada Hall of Fame". McGill University Athletics.
- ^ a b c "Gillian Florence". Rugby Canada Annual Awards & Hall of Fame Inductions. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ a b Khammar, Joe (February 14, 2017). "In conversation with Marlet Rugby alumna Gillian Florence". Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (July 28, 2011). "Female rugby stars won't pay to play". Retrieved December 2, 2012.
- ^ "MONTY HEALD NATIONAL WOMEN'S FUND – Canadian Rugby Foundation". Retrieved January 26, 2019.
- ^ Burke, Andrea. "The Nova Scotia Keltics a blueprint for success". Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Brown, Mathew. (2011). Rugby for dummies. Growden, Greg., Guthrie, Patrick, 1962– (3rd ed.). Mississauga, Ont.: Wiley. p. 318. ISBN 9781118043325. OCLC 731322674.
- ^ a b Brown, Mathew. (2004). Rugby for dummies. Growden, Greg., Guthrie, Patrick, 1962–. Etobicioke, Ont.: J. Wiley & Sons Canada. p. 304. ISBN 0470834056. OCLC 56588648.
- ^ "2018 Hall of Distinction unveiled". John Abbott College. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020.
- ^ "2014 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
- ^ "2015 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
- ^ "2016 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
- ^ "Rugby Canada names 2017 Award Winners – Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. March 10, 2018.
- ^ "Awards and Recognition". Rugby Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "WATCH: Rugby Canada 2019 Annual Awards". Rugby Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2021.