‘Birds rugby adds impressive depth with eight incoming recruits

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds welcome eight outstanding additions to the thriving women's rugby program for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. Winners of three consecutive Rugby 15s Canada West championships, the T-Birds expanded the program's recent success by capturing UBC's first Canada West Women's Rugby 7s Series title in the springtime.
 
"I'm very encouraged by this year's recruit group," said three-time reigning Canada West Coach of the Year Dean Murten. "It's one of the most talented groups I have seen, ranging from international rugby athletes to high level provincial athletes. This year we have a few athletes that are coming to do a master's degree, so they'll add great leadership and experience. We've also got athletes coming from many different provinces, internationally, and even some athletes joining us that we know very little about – this is great news as we will hopefully find a hidden gem or two."
 
Rugby Canada's senior women's national team member Sara Kaljuvee joins the 'Birds as St. Francis Xavier University Honours graduate who earned a fourth-place finish at the Rugby World Cup, is a two-time Pan American Gold Medalist, and Rio Olympic Bronze Medalist. Kaljuvee grew up in Ajax, Ontario and most recently attended the University of Victoria while training with the national program. Kaljuvee is a strong, resilient, resourceful player who excels in high-pressure situations and has earned a reputation for an unwavering drive and dependability both on and off the field. The fly half will study Education at UBC with a concentration on Secondary Education.


 
Victoria, B.C.'s Adia Pye joins the 'Birds after winning Rugby 7s gold at the 2022 Canada Games and the BCSS Girls Rugby 7s Provincial Championships in 2023. A member of the Castaway Wanderers and Team BC, the Honour Roll student was selected as MVP of both the senior girls basketball and rugby teams at Claremont Secondary School in 2023. Pye will study Biology while competing for the T-Birds and is a very competitive, explosive, and powerful athlete who can give an extra push in high-pressure scenarios.
 
Anya Prokopich also earned gold with Team BC's Rugby 7s squad in the 2022 Canada Games as an Honour Roll student at Earl Marriott Secondary School. Joining the 'Birds from Surrey, B.C, Prokopich won the Mariner Rugby Achievement Award in her final year of high school and was named Best Forward with the Bayside Sharks. The 5-foot-9 flank backs her teammates through a supportive nature, both with a positive mindset or and relentless worth ethic. Prokopich will study Biology and potentially Neuroscience at UBC with an ultimate goal of becoming an Emergency Medical Doctor – and is also excited for the opportunity to learn ASL.
 
Abbotsford, B.C.'s Lana Dueck was team captain and MVP in Grade 11 and 12 at Yale Secondary, where she won two provincial championships while maintaining a spot on the Honour Roll. Another member of Team BC's gold medal-winning Rugby 7s team at the 2022 Canada Games, Dueck is a good playmaker who sees the field well and works hard on and off the ball to create opportunities for herself and teammates. The 5-foot-9 fly-half will study Kinesiology at UBC.


 
Skye Farish joins the 'Birds as a competitive and hardworking back three who uses speed to her advantage on attack. The former St. Michaels University School team captain played for the Castaway Wanderers in her hometown of Victoria, B.C., and will study Arts while with the blue and gold. Farish also helped Team BC secure Rugby 7s gold in undefeated fashion at the 2022 Canada Summer Games.
 
Teya Ashworth comes to UBC from Eastbourne, England, where she attended Worthing College, and is a physical presence who prides herself on doing the little things to help her team succeed. The 6-foot-tall lock will study Sociology at UBC.
 
Kiki Idowu is a 5-foot-6 flank from Toronto, Ontario who earned two Academic Distinction awards from Ontario's Education Board and is an Honour Roll student who will study Kinesiology at UBC with the hopes of continuing her education in Physical Therapy. Idowu graduated from Newtonbrook Secondary School and played for both the Toronto City Amazons and Toronto Scottish Rugby Clubs. Winning MVP in both rugby and wrestling, Idowu is a multi-faceted athlete who loves a challenge and is always looking for opportunities to use her speed, strength, and work rate on the field.


 
Chelsea, Quebec's Talia Hennessy was a 2022 RSEQ 2^nd Team All-Star during her time with the University of Ottawa and now will pursue a Master's in Physical Therapy at UBC. The 5-foot-11 Philemon Wright High School graduate will bring her dynamic and aggressive attributes to both the Thunderbird attack and defense.
 
"Within the incoming group we have a wide range of positions that will be pushing the outstanding returning student athletes," explained Murten. "I am looking forward to some healthy competition within the squad, we need all the athletes pushing each other to their limits. I'm expecting to see some great battles during training camp, making it a very hard job for the coaches to select the varsity squad. A lot of these incoming athletes have been involved in national rugby throughout the summer. I'm expect them to bring the same level of intensity, commitment, and professionalism. We must keep raising the standards to ensure the program keeps getting better every day."
 
The Thunderbirds will kick-off their conference title defense on September 9^th against the rival University of Victoria Vikes in the provincial capital, before returning to the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre for the remainder of the season – beginning with the home opener on September 14^th at 4:00 p.m.