The University of Prince Edward Island congratulates former UPEI Women’s Rugby student-athlete Alysha Corrigan, who was selected to Team Canada’s Women’s Rugby Sevens team that will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 27-year-old Charlottetown native is the only player from eastern Ontario to be selected to the Olympic team.

Corrigan began her rugby career at Charlottetown Rural High School, where she played defender for the Raiders. She joined the UPEI Panther rugby program for the 2014–15 season and was also a member of the Team PEI ringette team that competed in the 2015 Canada Games. During her four years as a student-athlete at UPEI, Corrigan led the team in scoring (40 points) her senior year, earned AUS All-Star and U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian honors, and shared the UPEI Female Athlete of the Year award.

“I have had the privilege of coaching Alysha at the U SPORTS, provincial and club levels. From the beginning, her exceptional work ethic, both on and off the field, and her high-performance mentality unlike anything I have coached before have stood out,” said UPEI Women’s Rugby Head Coach James Voye. “Her relentless drive to succeed, her commitment to continuous improvement and her determination to never give up are truly remarkable. That’s what makes Alysha special.”

Following her time at UPEI, Corrigan played for the Acadia University rugby team in 2018–19, finishing second in the conference in scoring. She was also a three-time U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian and a key member of the Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (CRFC) in Nova Scotia women’s rugby league.

Corrigan was named to Canada’s senior women’s national rugby union tour team in November 2021. She made a memorable debut with Team Canada at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Auckland, New Zealand on October 23, 2022, setting up Canada’s second try in a 29–14 victory over the United States with a long run in the second half. Her strong overall play resulted in her receiving player of the match honours.

Corrigan is one of seven players (Caroline Crossley, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Chloe Daniels, Charity Williams, Carissa Norsten and Piper Logan) who won silver medals for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan-American Games.

“We are incredibly excited for Alysha,” said Jane Vessey, UPEI Director of Athletics and Recreation. “Her inspiring journey to the Olympics showcases her unwavering dedication to her sport. It is also a testament to the supportive Island community that has nurtured her extraordinary talent. We look forward to supporting her and Team Canada.”

Women’s rugby sevens will be played at the Stade de France from July 28 to July 30 (days 2 to 4). Team Canada’s round-robin schedule includes matches against Fiji on July 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET; against New Zealand on July 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET; and against China on July 29 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The matches will be available to watch on CBC Gem and the RugbyPass TV app.

Come on Canada, come on!