From Scotsburn to Super Series

Emma Taylor’s journey to international rugby has been long – it’s nearly 5000km from Halifax to Calgary. A quick scan of the squad for the Women’s Rugby Super Series reveals club like Burnaby Lake, Calgary Hornets, and Barbarians from Aurora, Montreal, and Brandon. Then one from HRFC. Hmm. Never seen that one before.

That doesn’t really tell the whole truth. Taylor’s flight might have been from the great east coast city of Halifax, but the 22-year old second row’s story begins in Scotsburn, a rural town in Pictou County, more than an hour north east of the outstretches of the greater municipality. That name might sound familiar, but for a very different reason. For more than 100 years it’s been home to the famous Scotsburn Ice Cream Company.

“I actually used to work for Scotsburn, so I’ve definitely had my fair share. I won’t lie, it’s good ice cream. I’m not sure what my favorite is… basically anything loaded with chocolate.”

When your home town is renowned for delicious dairy desserts, you know you’ve got an uphill battle to succeed in the athletic world. Thankfully, Taylor found distractions in sport. Basketball, hockey, soccer, pretty much anything she could try. And then in grade 9 at Northumberland Regional High she found her favorite – rugby.

“I loved the physicality, but it was the team atmosphere that sold me on it.”

She transferred to King’s Edgehill in Windsor for her final two years of high school, and provincial junior honors arrived along with an invitation to study business at St. FX in Antigonish, home of eastern Canada’s most dominant rugby program – the X-Women. Long time head coach Mike Cavanagh has made producing champions, and international players, a habit.

“Mike knows how to recruit, and his coaching style is very unique. He allowed us the freedom to coach and lead each other, he didn’t have to constantly bark orders at us. I think it amplified our maturity levels and as a result we’ve seen so many excel on the field and in the classroom. As the program continues to grow, it honestly sells itself.”

St. FX were CIS champions in 2006, aka the pre-Taylor era. By the time she graduated they were four-time CIS winners, taking three national titles in her five seasons with the side. She is the only player from St. FX to have achieved that distinction, and there are some pretty illustrious names that have graduated from the program. Joining her on the Super Series roster are former X-mates Olivia DeMerchant, Tyson Beukeboom, Lisa Gauthier, and Amanda Thornborough.

“I’m SO excited to see all of them. I have already been messaging a couple of them to help settle the nerves. I haven’t seen Amanda in so long, she was one of my closest friends during my first few years at St. FX so it will be so lovely to see her and hopefully play alongside her!”

Of course all of those players come from outside the province. DeMerchant is from New Brunswick, an Atlantic cousin if you will, but Taylor is the only actual product of Nova Scotia rugby. In previous years Dawn Dauphinee (née MacDonald) and Carolyn Spiddell-Gudmundseth have hailed from Halifax, but both moved around and ultimately achieved selection from elsewhere.

Nova Scotia head provincial coach Jack Hanratty is especially pleased of that fact.

“Emma has played rugby in ever form in Nova Scotia, high school to club to university, through the provincial Keltic and regional Atlantic programs. This is a true meaning for the term ‘player pathway’. To be able to play at the highest level in the world and still live in Nova Scotia is a true inspiration for our young athletes.”

Of course when you’re 6’1” (6’2” on a good day) with exceptional athleticism, it’s hard not to stand out. Hanratty says there’s more to it than that.

“Size and speed are great, but they’re not enough at this level. You have to have exceptional work ethic, and she has that in spades. Just since she was named to the team we’ve done three extra skill sessions a week, rain or shine. Emma doesn’t want to just make up the numbers, she really wants to do well.”

After taking part in Canadian head coach Francois Ratier’s regional selection camp at the end of April, it was a nervous wait. Despite her credentials, Taylor admits she was surprised when she got the news she had been picked.

“There was a date set for emails to be sent to the short listed players to determine whether they had been named to the Super Series roster. I waited patiently all day and after club rugby practice, I checked my email and made the team.

“To be honest, I was blown away. I had never expected to crack the top 27. The first person I tried to tell was Jack [Hanratty], but he didn’t answer his phone so I called my mom. She was so excited and made a noise so high pitched that only dogs could hear it.”

Geno Carew, president of Nova Scotia, knows Emma as well as any, having coached her for five seasons at both club and provincial level. For him it’s not just personal, it’s proof that the work the province has put into improving their systems is working.

“I’m excited to see her play. She has had success at the club and university levels, as well as on a provincial level, but it’s rare to have an athlete take that next step and represent her country. Emma has been a tremendous role model for young players in the province.

“She has represented Nova Scotia at all age grades and shows that there is a viable pathway here from club to country. I think her success will help inspire the next generation of players to strive to represent not just Nova Scotia but Canada as well.”

When the moment finally arrives and Emma steps onto the pitch in the red jersey, she won’t just have her friends and family and former teammates cheering her on, she will have a whole province of supporters behind her.

“That’s the best part about being from Nova Scotia. Although I’ll probably have the most pressure on me because of it, they will be proud no matter what the outcome is. The last few weeks have blown my mind with the number of female rugby players who have told me how inspirational I have been for them. I guess I’ve never thought of myself as someone’s inspiration, I just played because I love it.

“There is a lot of talent in Nova Scotia so if nothing else I’d at least like to shine some light on the path that I took to get to here – to show everyone that it is possible, even from Scotsburn.”