Former UPEI Women’s Rugby star named to Canada’s Women’s Sevens Olympic Team
The University of Prince Edward Island congratulates alumna Alysha Corrigan, a former UPEI Women’s Rugby student-athlete, who has been named to Team Canada’s Women’s Rugby Sevens team that will compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 27-year-old Charlottetown native is the only player east of Ontario to be named to the Olympic team.
Corrigan began her rugby career at Charlottetown Rural High School where she played fullback for the Raiders. She joined the UPEI Panther rugby program during the 2014–15 season and was also a member of the Team PEI ringette team that competed in the 2015 Canada Games. Throughout her four years as a student-athlete at UPEI, Corrigan led the team in scoring (40 points) in her final year, earning AUS All-Star and U SPORTS Second-Team All-Canadian awards and sharing the UPEI Female Athlete of the Year award.
“I had the privilege of coaching Alysha at the U SPORTS, provincial, and club levels. From the start, her exceptional work ethic both on and off the pitch stood out, along with a high-performance mindset that was unlike any I've ever coached,” said James Voye, Head Coach of UPEI Women’s Rugby. “Her relentless drive to excel, her commitment to continually improving, and her determination to never be outworked are truly remarkable. That's what makes Alysha special.”
Following her time at UPEI, Corrigan played for Acadia University’s 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 has been a key member of the Charlottetown Rugby Football Club (CRFC) in the Nova Scotia women’s rugby league.
Corrigan was selected to Canada’s senior women’s national rugby touring team in November 2021. She had a memorable debut with Team Canada at the Women’s Rugby World Cup on October 23, 2022, in Auckland, New Zealand, when she had a long run with the ball in the second half that set up Canada’s second try in a 29-14 victory over the United States. Her strong all-round play resulted in her receiving player-of-the-match honours.
Corrigan is among seven players (Caroline Crossley, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Chloe Daniels, Charity Williams, Carissa Norsten and Piper Logan) who played for Team Canada at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games where they won the silver medal.
“We are incredibly thrilled for Alysha,” said Jane Vessey, Director of Athletics and Recreation for UPEI. “Her inspiring journey to the Olympics showcases her unwavering dedication to the sport. It's also a testament to the supportive Island community that has nurtured her remarkable talent. We can’t wait to cheer her and Team Canada on.”
Women's rugby sevens will take place July 28 to July 30 (Day 2 to 4) at the Stade de France. Team Canada’s games in the round-robin schedule take place July 28 at 12:30 pm AST against Fiji; July 28 at 4:30 pm AST against New Zealand; and July 29 at 11:00 am AST against China. Games will be available to watch on CBC Gem and the RugbyPass TV app.
Go Canada Go!
