Our Outstanding Rugby Alumnae

Every year in the spring term, girls of all ages, sizes, and athletic backgrounds come together to learn the game of rugby here at King’s-Edgehill. After more than 30 years, the girls rugby program is firmly established as one of the strongest in the province. Moreover, the success of our alumnae has garnered us a very positive reputation across the country. This year, a number of our alumnae have continued to develop that reputation both nationally and abroad!

One of the main landing spots for our rugby alumnae is Canada’s national university league known as U Sports. This year we have 10 former players who are currently on varsity rosters across the country.

In Ontario three of our alumnae are competing in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference. Former team captain and senior good sport award winner Gala Holm ‘22 has earned a starting role for the ninth-ranked Western Mustangs and registered her first U Sports try earlier this season! Gala’s former teammate Sarah Hardy ‘22 who was a prominent hockey and rugby star here at KES, continues to make a name for herself with the undefeated and second- ranked Queen’s Gaels. Rounding out the Ontario contingent are 2023 grads and back-to-back School Sport Nova Scotia (SSNS) provincial champions Jenna Johnston ‘23 and Hanna MacGregor ‘23. Jenna, who began playing rugby in Grade 9, made the Waterloo Warriors varsity team and has been a staple for the 2-2 Warriors. Meanwhile, MacGregor who caught the eye of Carleton Raven’s coach David Luong during last year’s Highlander’s Rugby Classic tournament, has had an incredible rookie season thus far and has earned a starting position on the up-start Ravens squad.

Further east in Quebec, Mya Snarr ’20 and Lauren Boon ‘23 are representing KES in La Belle Province as members of the Bishop’s University Gaiters. In her second year on the team, Snarr has established herself as a starting member of the up-and-coming Gaiters squad. Mya, who was an established track star here at KES, continues to prove that a combination of athleticism and the right attitude are the recipes for success! Lauren also provides an excellent example for new players to the game to follow. After gaining national recognition for her prowess on the basketball court, she successfully made the jump to rugby last year and was a key member of our provincial championship winning team. This year at Bishop’s she has been a mainstay in the starting lineup and has a bright future ahead of her.

Closest to home, four of our alumnae compete head-to-head in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference. Just minutes down the road at Acadia University, two former KES captains and team MVPs, Kenzie Cecchetto ‘18 and Maya Faucher ‘22 suit up for the Acadia Axewomen. Kenzie, who has also served as our assistant coach here at KES for the past two seasons, is a team captain at Acadia and was recognized as an AUS all-star last season. Faucher on the other hand is a new addition to the perennial contender Axewomen who will no doubt have a tremendous impact on that program just as she did here. Camryn Kleynhans '20 and Jill Griffith ‘22 round out our U Sport players as they star for the sixth-ranked X-Women from St. Francis Xavier University. Camryn, another former team captain and MVP here at KES, has firmly established herself as one of the top players in the conference as was recognized as a league all-star last season. Griffith, who was once a highly recruited soccer player, is having an excellent sophomore season for the X-Women and has tallied a number of trys and was named StFX’s female athlete of the week earlier this season!

Over the years, several of our alumnae have been involved in our national team programs in both the 15s and 7s streams. The most recent alumna to do so is former KES female athlete of the year and four-time U Sport all-Canadian, Alexandra Ondo ‘16. Ondo currently resides in Victoria and trains daily with the Rugby Canada Rugby 7s Development Team. This feeder team for our senior women’s 7s team (which will represent Canada at the 2024 Olympics), is comprised of the top up-and-coming athletes all vying for a spot on the senior women’s squad. Earlier this summer, Ondo starred for this group in tournament play against other national teams from across the globe!

The Allianz Premier 15s is the highest level of competition for women’s club rugby in England. It is widely recognized as the top female rugby circuit in the northern hemisphere. KES Rugby legend Emma Taylor ‘10 who has earned multiple caps for our National Senior Women’s team has returned to England again this season after first doing so in 2021. Emma signed with the Saracens who are consistently one of the top teams in England. Before signing again with the Sarries, Emma had previous playing stints in Ireland after winning multiple national championships as a member of the StFX X-Women.