Gillian Florence
Place of birthHudson, Quebec
SchoolHudson High
John Abbott College
UniversityMcGill University
Occupation(s)Technical writer
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Youth career
1987–1992 Hudson High
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1989–2011 Ste. Anne de Bellevue RFC ()
1992?–1994? Lady Islanders ()
1995–1996 McGill Marlets ()
2017– Nova Scotia Keltics ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1993–2011 Quebec ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1994–2011  Canada 66
Coaching career
Years Team
2008–? McGill Marlets
2012–2013 Ste. Anne de Bellevue RFC

Gillian Florence is a Canadian rugby union player who has participated in five world cups (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010). Starting out as a prop on the national team, she became one of Canada's top flankers.

Florence first started playing rugby in high school (1987–1992) in Grade ten[1] and John Abbott College (1992–1994).[2] Her first cap was at the 1994 Women's Rugby World Cup, at the age of 18, and retired in 2011.[3] She represented Quebec for eighteen years and played for Ste. Anne de Bellevue for twenty-two years.

Having played one season with McGill University in 1995–1996, her national schedule conflicted with the university team's schedule.[4]

She was a member of the World XV that played against the New Zealand Black Ferns in 2003.[3]

Florence became an assistant coach for the McGill Marlets in 2008, a decade after graduating.[2]

In 2011, Florence, along with Brooke Hilditch and Megan Gibbs protested Canada's "pay-to-play" system for women in non-World Cup years by refusing to pay the $2,900 to play in the 2011 Nations Cup.[5] After retiring, she coached her club, Ste Anne de Bellevue, in 2012 and 2013.[1] She is now on the Monty Heald Fund committee which aims to eliminate the "pay to play" experience.[6]

She returned to the rugby pitch in 2017 and suited up for the Nova Scotia Keltics.[7]

Honours

  • 1995 CIS All-Conference honours
  • 1998 named one of McGill's top 20 athletes of all time (McGill Tribune)[8]
  • 1994 World Cup game MVP at her test debut[9]
  • 2003 All World team[9]
  • 2017 Rugby Canada Hall of Fame inductee (first woman in the hall of fame)
  • 2018 John Abbott College Hall of Fame inductee[10]

An annual Rugby Canada award is named in her honour and is given to a "player who best represents the qualities of Canadian rugby as voted by her teammates."[3] Recipients include Andrea Burk (2014),[11] Barbara Mervin (2015),[12] Julianne Zussman (2016),[13] Kelly Russell (2017),[14] Laura Russell (2018)[15] and Olivia DeMerchant (2019).[16]

Personal life

In 1998, she graduated from McGill University with a bachelor's degree in Education. In Montreal she worked for Caterpillar, for Ultra Electronics in Nova Scotia, and now Kinduct in Halifax.[4] She moved to rural Nova Scotia when she was eight months pregnant. She lives with her partner, firefighter Aaron Graham, is mother of two children.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Parry, James (February 23, 2017). "Former Hudson High student hooked on rugby inducted into new Canada Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "McGill grad Gillian Florence selected for induction to Rugby Canada Hall of Fame". McGill University Athletics.
  3. 1 2 3 "Gillian Florence". Rugby Canada Annual Awards & Hall of Fame Inductions. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Khammar, Joe (February 14, 2017). "In conversation with Marlet Rugby alumna Gillian Florence". Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ Ormsby, Mary (July 28, 2011). "Female rugby stars won't pay to play". Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  6. ↑ "MONTY HEALD NATIONAL WOMEN'S FUND – Canadian Rugby Foundation". Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  7. ↑ Burke, Andrea. "The Nova Scotia Keltics a blueprint for success". Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ Brown, Mathew. (2011). Rugby for dummies. Growden, Greg., Guthrie, Patrick, 1962– (3rd ed.). Mississauga, Ont.: Wiley. p. 318. ISBN 9781118043325. OCLC 731322674.
  9. 1 2 Brown, Mathew. (2004). Rugby for dummies. Growden, Greg., Guthrie, Patrick, 1962–. Etobicioke, Ont.: J. Wiley & Sons Canada. p. 304. ISBN 0470834056. OCLC 56588648.
  10. ↑ "2018 Hall of Distinction unveiled". John Abbott College. Archived from the original on March 29, 2020.
  11. ↑ "2014 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
  12. ↑ "2015 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
  13. ↑ "2016 Recipients". Rugby Canada Awards Night.
  14. ↑ "Rugby Canada names 2017 Award Winners – Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. March 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Awards and Recognition". Rugby Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  16. ↑ "WATCH: Rugby Canada 2019 Annual Awards". Rugby Canada. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
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