Lesley McKenzie

Last updated
Lesley McKenzie
Lesley McKenzie DSCF1437.jpg
Date of birth (1980-12-23) December 23, 1980 (age 43)
Place of birth Fort Nelson, British Columbia [1]
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight75 kg (165 lb)
University University of British Columbia
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Meraloma Rugby (0)
UBCOB Ravens (0)
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
British Columbia (0)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2006?–2010?Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 25
Coaching career
YearsTeam
2008–2013 UBC Thunderbirds
2018–2019Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 7s (assistant coach)
2019–presentFlag of Japan.svg  Japan

Lesley McKenzie (born December 23, 1980) is a Canadian rugby union player with 25 caps and the coach of the Japan women's national rugby union team. [2] She played for Canada at the 2006 and 2010 Rugby World Cup's, and coached Japan at the 2021 World Cup.

Contents

Rugby career

During university, McKenzie played for five years with the UBC Thunderbirds. [3] She played club rugby for Meraloma and UBCOB Ravens. [4]

McKenzie earned her first senior cap with the Canada women's national rugby team at the 2004 Churchill Cup versus the United States women's national rugby team. [5] [6] Previously, she played for the under 23 representative team and represented British Columbia as a senior.

In 2008, McKenzie played rugby in New Zealand as preparation for the 2010 World Cup. [7]

Coaching career

McKenzie joined the UBC Thunderbirds as head coach in 2008 and left her post in 2013. [8] Kim Donaldson was her assistant coach from 2009 to 2011 [9] [10] Maria Gallo was her assistant coach from 2011 to 2013. [11]

In 2012, McKenzie led the Canada women's FISU 7s team to France. [3] In 2014, McKenzie was the Wellington Rugby Football Union's girls development co-coordinator. [12] [6]

From 2015 to 2018, McKenzie developed and delivered programs as a game development officer for the Wanganui Rugby Football Union. [13] In 2018, She immigrated to Japan to become an assistant coach for the Japan women's national rugby sevens team. [13] Prior to this, she was hired five times for two weeks as a part-time resource coach for the Japanese sevens team. As assistant coach, McKenzie was also involved in academy branches across Japan.

In January 2019, McKenzie was appointed head coach of the fifteen-a-side team. [14] [15] This role also includes the responsibility of proactively encouraging and promoting women players to become coaches.

McKenzie had her contract renewed as Japan's head coach after the 2021 Rugby World Cup, the Japan Rugby Football Union announced that it had extended her contract up to 31 March 2024. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UBC Thunderbirds</span> University of British Columbia athletic teams

The UBC Thunderbirds are the athletic teams that represent the University of British Columbia. In Canadian intercollegiate competition, the Thunderbirds are the most successful athletic program both regionally in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and nationally in U Sports, winning 116 national titles. UBC has won an additional 20 national titles competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics against collegiate competition from the United States and 40 national titles in sports that compete in independent competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan national rugby union team</span> Rugby union team

The Japan national rugby union team, often a.k.a “Cherry Blossoms”, or a.k.a “Sakura”, and more a.k.a “The Brave Blossoms” is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Rugby Union</span> Governing body of rugby union in Scotland

The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league system, known as the Scottish League Championship, and the Scottish National teams. The SRU is headed by the President and Chairman, with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer. Dee Bradbury became the first female president of a Tier 1 rugby nation upon her appointment on 4 August 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States men's national rugby union team</span> Mens rugby union team

The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada national rugby union team</span> Mens rugby union team

The Canada national rugby union team represents the Canadian Rugby Union in international rugby union competitions. They are overseen by Rugby Canada the governing body of rugby union in Canada.

Stephanie Jameson is a former Canadian women's field hockey international. Between 2012 and 2017 she held the record as Canada's most capped women's field hockey international. She represented Canada at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games, at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Pan American Games and at the 2004 and 2009 Women's Pan American Cups. She won three CIS Championship titles with UBC Thunderbirds in 2001, 2003 and 2004. She also played for Ulster Elks in the Women's Irish Hockey League and helped them win the 2014–15 Irish Senior Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillhead Jordanhill RFC</span> Rugby team

Hillhead Jordanhill Rugby Football Club (HJRFC) is a Scottish rugby union club based in Glasgow, Scotland. HJRFC has roots going as far back as 1904 with the formation of the Hillhead Sports Club, however, the rugby club as we know it today was founded in 1988 with a Women's section added in 1995, they have played at their current home ground, Hughenden in the West End of Glasgow since then. Despite their name, the club is not located in either Hillhead or Jordanhill, although the pre-merger clubs did have historical links with these areas. Hughenden is located in Hyndland beside Great Western Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunderbird Stadium</span> Canadian Stadium

Thunderbird Stadium is an outdoor stadium on the University Endowment Lands in British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of Vancouver's city limits, and is primarily used for soccer and football by the UBC Thunderbirds. It seats 3,500 in the main grandstand, plus grass seating for about 5,000 people on the west side and ends of the stadium, and by using the surrounding grass embankment the facility can accommodate up to 12,000 spectators.

Ewen James Andrew McKenzie is an Australian professional rugby union coach and a former international rugby player. He played for Australia's World Cup winning team in 1991 and earned 51 caps for the Wallabies during his test career. McKenzie was head coach of the Australian team from 2013 to 2014. He has coached in both southern and northern hemispheres, in Super Rugby for the Waratahs and Reds, and in France at Top 14 side Stade Français. During his playing days he was a prop and, in a representative career spanning from 1987 to 1997, he played nine seasons for the NSW Waratahs and two for the ACT Brumbies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry O'Malley</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Terrence M. "Terry" O'Malley is a Canadian retired ice hockey player, currently serving as an assistant coach to the Regina Cougars women's ice hockey team of the University of Regina, a position he has held since 2006. He is an Olympian who represented Canada at three Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1968. A long-time coach for a variety of Notre Dame Hounds' bantam and midget hockey teams at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, he was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry MacKenzie</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

John Barry MacKenzie is a Canadian retired ice hockey player. He played for Canada at the 1964 and 1968 Winter Olympics, winning one bronze medal in 1968, as well as in three World Championships, winning a further two more bronzes. He would also play 6 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars during the 1968–69 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Burak</span> Rugby player

Michael Burak is a Canadian former international rugby union footballer. He won 29 caps for Canada between 2004 and 2009.

Andrea Neil is a pioneer of women's soccer in Canada. Neil retired from the game after representing Canada more than any other Canadian player in history.

UBC Old Boys Ravens is a Canadian rugby union team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1974, Ravens was formed by graduates from the University of British Columbia. The club currently competes in, and is the two-time defending champion of, the British Columbia Premier Rugby League.

Milton Haig is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the Georgian national team that annually competes the European Nations Cup.

Dr. Maria Eugenia Gallo is a Canadian rugby player with 55 caps including the 2002 and 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup. A multi-talented athlete, Gallo was also a member of Canada's National Bobsleigh Team for two years (2003–04).

Lyric Atchison is from North Vancouver, British Columbia and is a part of the Squamish Nation. Atchison was always a multi-sport athlete; she played soccer, wrestling and later on participated in rugby in 2012 at the age of 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Hindmarch</span> Canadian educator and ice hockey coach (1930–2021)

Robert George Hindmarch was a Canadian educator, sports administrator and ice hockey coach. He was a multi-sport athlete at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as a student, and returned as a professor and its director of physical education. He and Father David Bauer established a permanent Canada men's national ice hockey team based at UBC in preparation for ice hockey at the 1964 Winter Olympics. Hindmarch later coached the UBC Thunderbirds men's ice hockey team for 214 wins in 12 seasons; they became one of the first Western Bloc sports teams to play a tour of games in China. He developed additional international sporting relationships for the Thunderbirds in South Korea and Japan, and served as vice-president of the Canadian Olympic Association for 16 years. Hindmarch was made a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia; and is inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball</span> Womens college basketball team

The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team represent the University of British Columbia in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association of U Sports women's basketball. The Thunderbirds have won the Bronze Baby a total of five times, including the first three championships, spanning from 1972 to 1974. The last two national championships took place in 2004 and 2008. Both victories took place against the Regina Cougars. In 2004, the Thunderbirds defeated the Cougars by a 60-53 mark, while the 2008 triumph resulted in a 67-46 final.

Misaki Suzuki is a Japanese rugby union player. She plays for Japan internationally and at club level for Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix. She has competed for Japan at the 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup's.

References

  1. "Lesley McKenzie Takes Charge of Japan Women's XV – BC Rugby". Archived from the original on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
  2. "Lesley McKenzie nouvelle sélectionneuse des Sakura XV!". www.japonrugby.net. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Bogdon and Lebel to represent team Canada at 2012 world university rugby 7's championship". University of Waterloo Athletics. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. "Canada ready to take on France". Scrum Queens. 2009-11-03. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. "Player Profiles - UK Tour 2007". archive.wikiwix.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2003. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Shepard, Kit (2022-09-28). "Lesley McKenzie: Ten things you should know about the Japan coach". Rugby World. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  7. "Old Faces, New Positions" (PDF). Trek. University of British Columbia Alumni Association. Summer 2008. p. 44.
  8. "Lesley McKenzie". UBC Thunderbirds. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  9. "2009–10 Roster". UBC Thunderbirds. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  10. "2010–11 Roster". UBC Thunderbirds. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  11. Ramsay, Bailey. "Our Campus: Rugby coach Maria Gallo brings experience from four rugby world cups, national bobsled team". The Ubyssey. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  12. "Olympics providing new rugby targets". Stuff. 18 November 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Hyndman, Iain (March 28, 2018). "Wanganui Rugby Union development officers Justin Lock and Lesley McKenzie leave the nest". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  14. worldrugby.org. "Lesley McKenzie: "I'm not in the game to be a female head coach – I'm a rugby coach"". www.world.rugby. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  15. Japan Rugby Football Union (January 16, 2019). "Appointment of head coach of national women's XV (in Japanese)". www.rugby-japan.jp. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  16. "Lesley McKenzie excited to help Japan realise potential on road to Rugby World Cup 2025". www.world.rugby. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  17. "Lesley McKenzie to Continue as Sakura Fifteen Head Coach into 2024". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2022-12-27. Retrieved 2023-04-14.