| Date of birth | 12 June 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Abbotsford, British Columbia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Shalaya Valenzuela (born 12 June 1999) is a Canadian rugby union player who competes for the Canada women's national rugby sevens team. She won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Valenzuela was born on 12 June 1999, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. [1] She is a member of the Tseshaht First Nation and spent time in foster care as a child. [2] [3] She grew up playing rugby union as an inside centre, [4] being a member of the club Abottsford RFC, and attended Yale Secondary School, where she played for the Yale Lions. [5] While at Yale, she received the Premier's Award for Indigenous Excellence in Sport. [6] She graduated from the school in 2017. [5]
Valenzuela was a member of the BC Bears U23 team and the national junior team, both of which she represented at international competitions. [7] After Yale, she attended the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, where she competed in U Sports for the UFV Cascades, and later transferred to the University of Victoria, where she played for the Victoria Vikes. [7]
Valenzuela spent two years in the Rugby Canada Maple Leaf Academy before being called up to the Canada women's national rugby sevens team for the first time in December 2022, for the World Sevens Series in Dubai. [7] [8] She became the only indigenous athlete on the national team. [6] In 2023, she played for the team at the Pan American Games and helped them win a silver medal, losing to the United States in the final. [9] In 2024, she was named an alternate for the team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. [10] She was promoted to the active squad following an injury to Keyara Wardley, participating in their match against France. [10] Canada ultimately won the silver medal, losing to New Zealand in the finals, with Valenzuela becoming the first indigenous woman to win a medal in rugby sevens for the country. [3] [11]
The Canada women's national rugby sevens team was one of six "core teams" that competed in all four rounds of the inaugural World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in 2012–13. Canada competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics and won the bronze medal after defeating Great Britain 33–10. At the 2020 Olympics they failed to medal and finished in 9th place.
Brittany "Britt" Benn is a Canadian rugby union player. She represented Canada at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. She was a member of the touring squad that played France and England in November 2013.
Ghislaine Landry is a Canadian rugby union player. She won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games as a member of the Canadian women's rugby sevens team. During the 2016–17 season, Landry succeeded Jen Kish as captain of the national sevens. On October 20, 2018, Landry became the first woman to hit the 1,000 point milestone in the women's sevens World Series.
Bianca Farella is a Canadian rugby player. In 2016, she was named to Canada's first ever women's rugby sevens Olympic team.
Hannah Darling is a Canadian rugby union player and considered the national seven's team weapon at restarts.
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Pamphinette "Pam" Buisa is a Canadian rugby union and sevens player. She has represented Canada at an international level. Buisa wears a size US 10.5 rugby boot.
Emma Chown is a Canadian rugby sevens player. She won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games as a member of the Canada women's national rugby sevens team.
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Olivia Apps is a Canadian rugby union and sevens player. Olivia was raised in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada and was introduced to rugby in Grade 10 in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada.
Keyara Wardley is a Canadian rugby union player, in the sevens discipline.
Krissy Scurfield is a Canadian rugby union player. She won a silver medal in the rugby sevens at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Fancy Bermudez Chavez is a Canadian rugby union player. She competed for the Canadian sevens team at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens, and made her international debut for the fifteens team in 2023.
Piper Logan is a Canadian rugby sevens player. She was part of the Canada team which won silver medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2023 Pan American Games.
Florence Symonds is a Canadian rugby player.
Taylor Perry is a Canadian rugby union and rugby sevens player.
