14. Olivia DeMerchant and Emily Tuttosi
My latest article features not one, but two elite athletes who are part of the Exeter Chiefs women’s rugby union squad that is making such a massive impact in their first season in the hugely competitive Premier 15s league.
As well as this being my first attempt at a “double interview” (as if I wasn’t bad enough one-on-one!), I’m also extending my geographical boundaries as Olivia DeMerchant and Emily Tuttosi hail from Canada and have both played international rugby for the country that is currently ranked third in the world in the women’s game.
To avoid any confusion, I’ll just include Olivia or Emily’s name to show who was answering the various questions; and as we spoke a few days after the Chiefs took Saracens’ 33-match unbeaten record at Sandy Park, that seemed the perfect place to start.
It was a superb performance, particularly during a physically dominant first-half. Olivia and Emily were right at the heart of the action, playing at prop and hooker respectively, so how did they reflect on such a significant result in only their tenth competitive fixture?
Olivia
“Do you want to go first?!”
Emily
“Sure! The biggest thing for me about the first half was the energy amongst the whole squad. It had been cool all morning; me and my housemates were excited to go, we got to the park and you could just feel things building. It was almost like it built in a perfect way, because when kick-off came we were by no means perfect, but if we made an error, we just moved on and when good things happened we were able to celebrate each success and keep building … and it definitely fuelled the defensive effort near half-time.
“So even though we made some errors, we had great game management as well as the energy from everyone on and off the pitch … good vibes!”
Olivia
“It was good vibes!
“For me, I was coming back from injury and those were the first real minutes I’d played since I got back; and I think it’s the first time I’ve played my own game since I’ve been here … played like the player I can be. We ‘power-posed’ before we even got on the pitch for warm-up! The energy was all there and it just felt right.”
Sitting watching the live stream at home, I saw the Saracens line-up and their pack was almost a ‘who’s who’ of English rugby over recent years. Obviously, the Chiefs squad already have shown themselves to be a match for any squad; but how do Exeter approach each new challenge?
Emily
“Of course, we look at teams week-in-week-out, we acknowledge their strengths and respect the players they have; but ultimately we can’t control who they have on the pitch. So it’s about us looking after what we can control, and mitigating their strengths where we can; but if we play to our own strengths, it’s easier than just trying to find ways to shut them down, I guess.”
Olivia
“Exactly. We do think about who’s playing, obviously; we’ll know names from being on the circuit, but looking at our own team, we back ourselves as well. We also have a lot of caps in our squad, they might not be English caps, but our squad is up there as well.”
Olivia is absolutely right; the Exeter squad is littered with international talent. As well as some fine home-grown players, the squad also includes players from Spain, the Netherlands, America, Japan, and of course Canada, most of whom have represented their respective countries…
Clearly Covid has impacted on everybody’s lives, and whilst it has been possible for the majority of Premier 15s fixtures to go ahead, there have been a number of rule changes designed to limit face-to-face contact. Games have been shortened from 80 to 70 minutes and the number of scrums has been limited, with free-kick restarts following knock-ons in place until the end of the season.
Given that the Canadian duo are crucial members of a powerful Chiefs pack, what effect have these changes had?
Olivia
“I think especially with the scrums, there’s a lot more running off free kicks, and in a way it’s easier because scrumming is really hard [there was a knowing nod and smile from her front-row partner]; but at the same time I think we have such a dominant pack, we wouldn’t mind having more scrums. Susie’s [head coach Susie Appleby] helped build a really strong scrum, so we lose a bit of an advantage there, but we’ve gained advantages in other areas.”
Emily
“I think we’re thankful that our league is still happening and if there are the rule changes that have to be made, let’s just adapt to it.”
A reciprocal nod from Olivia, but my next question was directed specifically to the Chiefs’ no.2. Having watched four recent games, I just wondered if Exeter’s considered lineout set-up was the slowest in the league … by some considerable margin?
Emily
“Maybe!”
Emily’s one-word response to arguably my most insightful rugby question to date prompted laughter from both players…
Olivia
“Well she’s the one who’s holding the ball over her head, so she probably knows how long it is … I’m just standing there waiting for players to move so I can lift them!”
How much time do the forwards spend on lineout routines?
Olivia
“We do lineout sessions twice a week for about twenty minutes or more every time. We’ve changed our scrumming sessions more into lineout sessions. We do two forward separation sessions a week and we might get five or ten minutes of scrumming, but sometimes it’s just turned back into lineout work because we might get as many as twenty lineouts of our own in a game.”
Presumably the free-kick rule for knock-ons is responsible for a number of those lineouts?
Olivia
“Definitely. Some people will take territory and kick the ball out, or they’ll kick it out just to slow down the game and have time to regather themselves.”
One of the most noticeable aspects of the win over Saracens was how well the whole squad coped with the awful weather conditions. I’d watched the game against Loughborough Lightning a few weeks ago when handling errors arguably cost the Chiefs the victory; but the ball retention against Saracens was first class…
Emily
“The ball was real slick!
“I think that’s down to the effort we’ve put in as a squad. We saw the stats from some of the games in the first half of the season, and there were just too many unforced errors. Sometimes the defence comes up and puts good pressure on; but when you’re not under much pressure and knocking on, it was a wake-up call for all of us to elevate our training. You don’t just move on from dropping passes; even in training we need to be catching them, so that it doesn’t translate into a game situation.”
Olivia
“We’re getting to know our system a lot better. We needed to go back to fundamentals and work on those small skills, and I think after Loughborough that’s when we really stepped up those skills and practices.”
It’s quite hard to put the win over Saracens into the kind of context that does justice to the quality of the home side’s performance; but to go from bringing together a group of athletes from so many countries, backgrounds and cultures and effectively go from scratch to beating the best side in the land in ten games is genuinely remarkable. The coaching staff, the team behind the scenes and, of course, the squad out on the park have all contributed to a fantastic opening chapter to the story of Exeter Chiefs women; but how did Emily and Olivia reflect on their on-field progress?
Emily
“I think we faced challenges with how late some of the players were joining the squad this season, and you’re kind of learning on the go in games; but especially with the current situation, I think that we all have a lot of time to make sure rugby is our main focus; and when you do get to know your team mates on and off the pitch, it does become easier to play with them … you know what their little nuances are and what they’re looking for.
“There was always some confidence that we were going to be a good team, and then through practice and games it was easier to believe it…”
Olivia
“I think we knew we had the tools in our toolbox, we just had to pull it all together; and because we’ve got to know each other more, you’re more willing to put your body on the line for one another; and you’re more used to what each player likes to do, or how they like to play.”
Our chat took place late in the afternoon on the day before the Chiefs faced Harlequins, the second time in a week that a team boasting a 100% record travelled to Sandy Park. How had preparations gone?
Emily
“I think it’s been good. We are proud of what we did last weekend, but we know we can’t just settle or rely on that. As Susie said to us, good teams perform week in week out, you can’t just put up one performance and call it good; but I personally feel we’re all ready to rise up to the challenge to see what we can do for a second week in a row. Eyes are on us at this point and the ball’s in our court.”
Olivia
“I agree … totally agree.”
For the record, Exeter produced another outstanding defensive display to take Harlequins’ unbeaten record with a 7-6 victory; and then followed up with an excellent away win at Worcester the following Saturday.
Olivia grew up in Mapledale, New Brunswick, the Canadian province which borders the American state of Maine; and Emily hails from Souris in Manitoba, which coincidentally is also situated close to the border with the United States (North Dakota).
I knew Olivia had enjoyed a spell playing with a local men’s side, the Woodstock Wildmen, but was interested to know more about her sporting background.
Olivia
“I did a lot of winter sports, I played [ice] hockey, but when I was about 12, our middle school had a co-ed 15s rugby team, and it was something a couple of my friends were going to do; I didn’t know much about rugby, but said that I wanted to play.
“When the time came, I chickened out and said I didn’t want to go, but my Mom said we’re getting in the car and we’re going to go!
“So I went, I loved it, and have never really looked back since.”
Is Olivia still in touch with her former Woodstock Wildmen team mates?
“Yes, definitely; I’m still good friends with a lot of them. I don’t see them all that often, especially with Covid; I’ve only been home twice since this whole thing happened, but yes, I keep in touch with the boys and whenever there are games to watch, they’re always cheering me on, which is cool.
“The East Coast is small, and I’ve jumped around to different clubs … I moved to Halifax in Nova Scotia and played for a club there; so I’ve got a lot of connections across the East Coast with a whole bunch of clubs.”
The same question to Emily, but first I had to point out that the name of her home town was also the French word for ‘mouse’. Emily smiled in a way that suggested she’d heard that countless times before, but it just appealed to me – and I was actually quite proud of being able to recall a word I probably hadn’t heard since I left school!
Emily
“Actually rugby was one of the first sports I ever played. My brother played and then thankfully, despite being a super-small town, we had a man who started a rugby programme – Brian Yon – for which I’m super-thankful; I have a twin sister, we’re both naturally aggressive and we just wanted to try this sport. I was seven then, and every opportunity I’ve had to play rugby since then, I’ve said yes to.
“Growing up, basketball was a big part of my life in high school then I chose rugby for university. I made a joke to my strength coach, who was also the strength coach for the wrestling team, about being too heavy to wrestle because there were all these weight classes. He said: No you’re not!’ and basically from there I ended up joining the wrestling team because the champion in my weight category needed a training partner, and it ended up working out that I competed in the wrestling team for a few years at university, which was super-random, never would have guessed, but it was awesome to develop athletically and learn something totally new.”
Presumably there are skills from wrestling that can be transferred to the rugby field?
Emily
“Oh a 100 percent like just in terms of knowing how to move your body, or trying to manipulate somebody else especially at ruck time or in a tackle, that was one of the things that came easily to me from wrestling; I can always rely on a double-leg takedown … it’s just a tackle; I can do this!
“Also there are times when you do get knocked down and you’ve just got to get right back up … the mental toughness and things like that definitely translate from a combative sport to rugby.”
I wanted to ask Olivia about the 2014 World Cup (she represented Canada in both 2014 and 2017). The competition was played in France, won by England, but there were two incredible matches and results during the competition; firstly Ireland’s defeat of New Zealand (the first time any Ireland side, male or female, had ever beaten their Kiwi counterparts in 15s rugby); and the second was Canada’s 18-16 semi-final win over the hosts. It was a compelling game that turned on two breath-taking tries in as many minutes.
Firstly though, how does Olivia look back on that occasion?
Olivia
“It’s definitely one of the highlights of my career. The stadium was just packed with people, and even though we beat the home team, they were just cheering for good rugby; and I think that shows you what kind of a different sport rugby is.
“I think I only came on with 20 minutes left but it was such a great feeling and then to go on to the final was crazy as well. I think I’ve been chasing that same feeling and hoping to go to this World Cup to get it again … except with a better result!”
Those two tries I mentioned came early in the second half; the first from an outrageous dummy and run from the base of a ruck by stand-in scrum half Elissa Alarie; the second from a French attacking scrum five yards out from the Canadian line, which was won against the head and resulted in a thrilling length of the field score from Magali Harvey.
It must be quite hard to keep emotions in check whether you’re on the field or the bench when you witness two such special moments?
Olivia
“I am a rather calm player, especially when I come onto the field as an impact sub. I like the excitement, but I know that I have a certain job to do for my team and hopefully play a part in us being successful.”
Since then, Olivia and Emily have played together for Canada – they agreed on 2017 after a bit of deliberation. The next World Cup is due to be held in New Zealand later this year; is that something that they’re allowing themselves to think about?
Olivia
“Definitely; I think both of us have been working really hard to get those camp invites. We have a camp in June and then selection will go on from there; we’ll have Can-Ams [fixtures between Canada and the USA] before heading to New Zealand.”
Emily
“I totally agree about working hard for the top-50 camp invite; from where I am in my international career to where Liv is, I think my big focus will be trying to get the top-50 invite and then going from there.
“With how my career has gone of these last few years, it’s easier for me to focus on just one thing at a time instead of trying to build long term … it keeps things far more enjoyable if by the off-chance they don’t go your way.
“It is something that we do think and talk about quite a bit though, especially this year with there being absolutely no rugby in Canada, except for small training groups. It’s a huge privilege to be here; and I think especially after the first couple of months when we found our feet, the amount of rugby knowledge and experience amongst the players and staff that we’re exposed to is also a cool way to learn and grow as players leading up to what will hopefully be camp invites.”
Olivia
“I think it puts many of the players who are able to play in these leagues in a good spot for camp; and it also shows those people who are maybe on the cusp that bit more time to show the coaches and selectors what they can contribute to a team.”
The 2021 World Cup should be a fantastic competition and I’m really looking forward to being able to support England as well as cheering on all the Chiefs players that make it into their respective national squads.
For now though, the focus remains very much on the domestic game; and interestingly, both Olivia and Emily are no strangers to English club rugby…
Olivia
“I came over first in 2013 and then again in 2016. The first time I came over, we were playing on the old Sarries [Saracens] club pitch, so it was a real step up when I came back and played at the Allianz Stadium. I had great coaching there, but coming into the Chiefs this year, with the amount of skills that we get to do, the gym time, the big group we get to practice with, and the extra coaches coming in; it’s been really great.”
Emily
"Just from a women’s rugby point of view in England, this is my third year here in a row and even from my first year until now, your top team was here [Emily’s right hand was held up flat just above her head] and your bottom team was here [Emily’s left hand was parallel to her right, but below her neck]; but now the standard is all narrowing in week in week out [as confirmed by Emily’s palms being just an inch or so apart … to be honest, this worked so much better visually]; the results aren’t predictable, which I think is helping all the teams and the growth of the women’s game – and to be taken seriously as a professional league.”
Olivia
“I think that even the first time I came over, I ate through all my savings because I couldn’t get a job, and the second time I worked like a dog because I got a full-time job; but this time I’ve been able to live off what I make from the games. It’s been really good to just focus on rugby and I’m in a good spot.”
The Covid guidelines have affected almost every aspect of the women’s game, and for those involved in the Premier 15s competition, this has meant that the opportunity to play in front of a crowd (to build that fan base and create much-needed revenue) has been limited – in Exeter’s case – to just one fixture.
Up until lockdown, the home Sandy Park faithful had been an integral part of the matchday experience for the Exeter men’s squad, but how did it feel to get that first taste of playing in front of what will hopefully become an equally vociferous band supporting the Chiefs women’s team?
Olivia
“I think it was really great to have the audience there. They’re really animated in the game; you could tell when the excitement was up, or when a good play happened. You really thrived off the sounds of the crowd, and their energy was definitely transferred into the game.”
Emily
“Sandy Park has a great atmosphere, and I’m super-excited for post-Covid when we can see Sandy Park in full action, but having a crowd was so cool and it was great at the end because it was rugby fans who just want rugby to thrive for women in the south west, which is also super-awesome.”
Whilst being unable to play in front of crowds is obviously a blow, it’s been great to see so many recent Chiefs games streamed live, giving the new squad a chance to showcase their skills to a growing audience; and hopefully this will result in sizeable crowds heading to Sandy Park once the turnstiles eventually reopen. Are the players aware of how well their performances are being received?
Olivia
“I think even if you look at the YouTube views, you can see that week after week it’s growing, I think that’s a really positive and hopefully we can make the games even more accessible on other platforms as well.
“We bike to Sandy Park and we’ve had people stop us and say congratulations on the game, and if we’re wearing our Chiefs stuff, they’ll stop and ask us a few questions, which is great.”
It’s lovely to hear that there is at least some interaction with supporters in a city where rugby plays such a central role; but even more important has been the opportunity to really get to know their new team mates … even if some of that interaction has to be done ‘virtually’…
Emily
“I think we’ve been able to learn so much, like what their typical Christmas would look like compared to ours. It’s very cheesy, but differences have brought us together even more. Even the girls who grew up in England, it’s interesting to hear about their rugby pathway versus Spain, versus Canada or the US … it’s very cool.”
Olivia
“I think that because there are so many of us that are foreigners, we didn’t have anything else and we kind of found each other, got to know each other and really brought our team together.
“Unfortunately, because of our protocols we have to disband as soon as we can after a game. Last Sunday we did have a Zoom ‘Coffee Club’ which was great, but it’s not the same as being able to sit around and have a beer after the game.
“Even with the Six Nations coming up, how many of us would love to be in a pub with a pint of beer to watch the games? It’s a shame, but for now, I just think we need to roll with the punches…
It’s easy to forget that Olivia and Emily are a long way from home. I can appreciate that over 3,500 miles separates England and Canada; but what really surprised me was the fact that if Olivia was to drive non-stop from her home to Emily’s, it would take two days!
I presume that’s down to distance rather than the speed Olivia drives, but how do the pair cope with being so far away from their families?
Olivia
“For me it is quite tough. My family’s pretty close and luckily technology’s pretty good so I’m able to talk to them all the time. It’s even harder with lockdown, because you’re not out doing things, but we’ve been doing a lot of rugby and we’ve been pretty creative in the house to keep us busy.
“You just have to be grateful for being here, being able to play rugby, the sport that you love, being able to prep for a World Cup; so I’m very thankful that I’m here … but it’s hard not to miss home a bit.”
Emily
“I’m still doing alright with it. The last few seasons I’ve been over here, I’ve stayed for as many as eleven months of the year without being back home. I’ve always been a little bit more that way though. As soon as I graduated high school, I was like ‘I’m going to Calgary’, moving across the country; I still obviously contact my family, but I’m perhaps less of a home-body as maybe Liv is!
“I’m still really proud of where I come from. Souris is a small town, but the passion for rugby that our coach and all the players had and still have is super-cool. I think that people sometimes assume that because you’re from the middle of Manitoba, there can’t be good rugby there, but there is; and it’s cool that I’m doing what I’m doing now, that I started somewhere – and that somewhere was Souris.”
The Canadian duo are clearly committed to playing their part in establishing Exeter as a real force in English club rugby, as well as doing whatever they can to earn a place in the Canadian World Cup squad. Off the field though, what are the immediate goals?
Emily
“So many of us would love to go and help coach in local clubs or pop in to say any age grade really. There are so many young girls down here who are so excited because they’ve got the Exeter Chiefs women, but it’s how can we get out into the community and show the girls that they can do it, and it can be a realistic path.
“You don’t have to have played in a World Cup; if you put in the hard work now, the pathway here is so good, and we just need to make those connections and show that we are just real women who’ve worked hard and taken our opportunities. I would really like to see that before the season ends; all the leagues might not be underway, but even going on a Zoom call and doing a Q&A to start building that community…”
Olivia
“Well said!!”
I found the whole experience of chatting to two elite international athletes at the same time absolutely fascinating. There were so many nods of agreement, smiles and moments when the pair burst out laughing (often at the quality of my questions) that gave me a sense of friendship, purpose, and a hint at just how closely-knit this Exeter squad has become.
As housemates, team mates and international colleagues, it’s not surprising that the pair get on extremely well. Olivia and Emily were great company, open and really engaging, and clearly enjoying being part of something new and special … helping to build a foundation for the future and starting to create a legacy that will inspire the next generation of girls to take up the sport of rugby union.
© Richard Kirby, Olivia DeMerchant and Emily Tuttosi 2021
As well as this being my first attempt at a “double interview” (as if I wasn’t bad enough one-on-one!), I’m also extending my geographical boundaries as Olivia DeMerchant and Emily Tuttosi hail from Canada and have both played international rugby for the country that is currently ranked third in the world in the women’s game.
To avoid any confusion, I’ll just include Olivia or Emily’s name to show who was answering the various questions; and as we spoke a few days after the Chiefs took Saracens’ 33-match unbeaten record at Sandy Park, that seemed the perfect place to start.
It was a superb performance, particularly during a physically dominant first-half. Olivia and Emily were right at the heart of the action, playing at prop and hooker respectively, so how did they reflect on such a significant result in only their tenth competitive fixture?
Olivia
“Do you want to go first?!”
Emily
“Sure! The biggest thing for me about the first half was the energy amongst the whole squad. It had been cool all morning; me and my housemates were excited to go, we got to the park and you could just feel things building. It was almost like it built in a perfect way, because when kick-off came we were by no means perfect, but if we made an error, we just moved on and when good things happened we were able to celebrate each success and keep building … and it definitely fuelled the defensive effort near half-time.
“So even though we made some errors, we had great game management as well as the energy from everyone on and off the pitch … good vibes!”
Olivia
“It was good vibes!
“For me, I was coming back from injury and those were the first real minutes I’d played since I got back; and I think it’s the first time I’ve played my own game since I’ve been here … played like the player I can be. We ‘power-posed’ before we even got on the pitch for warm-up! The energy was all there and it just felt right.”
Sitting watching the live stream at home, I saw the Saracens line-up and their pack was almost a ‘who’s who’ of English rugby over recent years. Obviously, the Chiefs squad already have shown themselves to be a match for any squad; but how do Exeter approach each new challenge?
Emily
“Of course, we look at teams week-in-week-out, we acknowledge their strengths and respect the players they have; but ultimately we can’t control who they have on the pitch. So it’s about us looking after what we can control, and mitigating their strengths where we can; but if we play to our own strengths, it’s easier than just trying to find ways to shut them down, I guess.”
Olivia
“Exactly. We do think about who’s playing, obviously; we’ll know names from being on the circuit, but looking at our own team, we back ourselves as well. We also have a lot of caps in our squad, they might not be English caps, but our squad is up there as well.”
Olivia is absolutely right; the Exeter squad is littered with international talent. As well as some fine home-grown players, the squad also includes players from Spain, the Netherlands, America, Japan, and of course Canada, most of whom have represented their respective countries…
Clearly Covid has impacted on everybody’s lives, and whilst it has been possible for the majority of Premier 15s fixtures to go ahead, there have been a number of rule changes designed to limit face-to-face contact. Games have been shortened from 80 to 70 minutes and the number of scrums has been limited, with free-kick restarts following knock-ons in place until the end of the season.
Given that the Canadian duo are crucial members of a powerful Chiefs pack, what effect have these changes had?
Olivia
“I think especially with the scrums, there’s a lot more running off free kicks, and in a way it’s easier because scrumming is really hard [there was a knowing nod and smile from her front-row partner]; but at the same time I think we have such a dominant pack, we wouldn’t mind having more scrums. Susie’s [head coach Susie Appleby] helped build a really strong scrum, so we lose a bit of an advantage there, but we’ve gained advantages in other areas.”
Emily
“I think we’re thankful that our league is still happening and if there are the rule changes that have to be made, let’s just adapt to it.”
A reciprocal nod from Olivia, but my next question was directed specifically to the Chiefs’ no.2. Having watched four recent games, I just wondered if Exeter’s considered lineout set-up was the slowest in the league … by some considerable margin?
Emily
“Maybe!”
Emily’s one-word response to arguably my most insightful rugby question to date prompted laughter from both players…
Olivia
“Well she’s the one who’s holding the ball over her head, so she probably knows how long it is … I’m just standing there waiting for players to move so I can lift them!”
How much time do the forwards spend on lineout routines?
Olivia
“We do lineout sessions twice a week for about twenty minutes or more every time. We’ve changed our scrumming sessions more into lineout sessions. We do two forward separation sessions a week and we might get five or ten minutes of scrumming, but sometimes it’s just turned back into lineout work because we might get as many as twenty lineouts of our own in a game.”
Presumably the free-kick rule for knock-ons is responsible for a number of those lineouts?
Olivia
“Definitely. Some people will take territory and kick the ball out, or they’ll kick it out just to slow down the game and have time to regather themselves.”
One of the most noticeable aspects of the win over Saracens was how well the whole squad coped with the awful weather conditions. I’d watched the game against Loughborough Lightning a few weeks ago when handling errors arguably cost the Chiefs the victory; but the ball retention against Saracens was first class…
Emily
“The ball was real slick!
“I think that’s down to the effort we’ve put in as a squad. We saw the stats from some of the games in the first half of the season, and there were just too many unforced errors. Sometimes the defence comes up and puts good pressure on; but when you’re not under much pressure and knocking on, it was a wake-up call for all of us to elevate our training. You don’t just move on from dropping passes; even in training we need to be catching them, so that it doesn’t translate into a game situation.”
Olivia
“We’re getting to know our system a lot better. We needed to go back to fundamentals and work on those small skills, and I think after Loughborough that’s when we really stepped up those skills and practices.”
It’s quite hard to put the win over Saracens into the kind of context that does justice to the quality of the home side’s performance; but to go from bringing together a group of athletes from so many countries, backgrounds and cultures and effectively go from scratch to beating the best side in the land in ten games is genuinely remarkable. The coaching staff, the team behind the scenes and, of course, the squad out on the park have all contributed to a fantastic opening chapter to the story of Exeter Chiefs women; but how did Emily and Olivia reflect on their on-field progress?
Emily
“I think we faced challenges with how late some of the players were joining the squad this season, and you’re kind of learning on the go in games; but especially with the current situation, I think that we all have a lot of time to make sure rugby is our main focus; and when you do get to know your team mates on and off the pitch, it does become easier to play with them … you know what their little nuances are and what they’re looking for.
“There was always some confidence that we were going to be a good team, and then through practice and games it was easier to believe it…”
Olivia
“I think we knew we had the tools in our toolbox, we just had to pull it all together; and because we’ve got to know each other more, you’re more willing to put your body on the line for one another; and you’re more used to what each player likes to do, or how they like to play.”
Our chat took place late in the afternoon on the day before the Chiefs faced Harlequins, the second time in a week that a team boasting a 100% record travelled to Sandy Park. How had preparations gone?
Emily
“I think it’s been good. We are proud of what we did last weekend, but we know we can’t just settle or rely on that. As Susie said to us, good teams perform week in week out, you can’t just put up one performance and call it good; but I personally feel we’re all ready to rise up to the challenge to see what we can do for a second week in a row. Eyes are on us at this point and the ball’s in our court.”
Olivia
“I agree … totally agree.”
For the record, Exeter produced another outstanding defensive display to take Harlequins’ unbeaten record with a 7-6 victory; and then followed up with an excellent away win at Worcester the following Saturday.
Olivia grew up in Mapledale, New Brunswick, the Canadian province which borders the American state of Maine; and Emily hails from Souris in Manitoba, which coincidentally is also situated close to the border with the United States (North Dakota).
I knew Olivia had enjoyed a spell playing with a local men’s side, the Woodstock Wildmen, but was interested to know more about her sporting background.
Olivia
“I did a lot of winter sports, I played [ice] hockey, but when I was about 12, our middle school had a co-ed 15s rugby team, and it was something a couple of my friends were going to do; I didn’t know much about rugby, but said that I wanted to play.
“When the time came, I chickened out and said I didn’t want to go, but my Mom said we’re getting in the car and we’re going to go!
“So I went, I loved it, and have never really looked back since.”
Is Olivia still in touch with her former Woodstock Wildmen team mates?
“Yes, definitely; I’m still good friends with a lot of them. I don’t see them all that often, especially with Covid; I’ve only been home twice since this whole thing happened, but yes, I keep in touch with the boys and whenever there are games to watch, they’re always cheering me on, which is cool.
“The East Coast is small, and I’ve jumped around to different clubs … I moved to Halifax in Nova Scotia and played for a club there; so I’ve got a lot of connections across the East Coast with a whole bunch of clubs.”
The same question to Emily, but first I had to point out that the name of her home town was also the French word for ‘mouse’. Emily smiled in a way that suggested she’d heard that countless times before, but it just appealed to me – and I was actually quite proud of being able to recall a word I probably hadn’t heard since I left school!
Emily
“Actually rugby was one of the first sports I ever played. My brother played and then thankfully, despite being a super-small town, we had a man who started a rugby programme – Brian Yon – for which I’m super-thankful; I have a twin sister, we’re both naturally aggressive and we just wanted to try this sport. I was seven then, and every opportunity I’ve had to play rugby since then, I’ve said yes to.
“Growing up, basketball was a big part of my life in high school then I chose rugby for university. I made a joke to my strength coach, who was also the strength coach for the wrestling team, about being too heavy to wrestle because there were all these weight classes. He said: No you’re not!’ and basically from there I ended up joining the wrestling team because the champion in my weight category needed a training partner, and it ended up working out that I competed in the wrestling team for a few years at university, which was super-random, never would have guessed, but it was awesome to develop athletically and learn something totally new.”
Presumably there are skills from wrestling that can be transferred to the rugby field?
Emily
“Oh a 100 percent like just in terms of knowing how to move your body, or trying to manipulate somebody else especially at ruck time or in a tackle, that was one of the things that came easily to me from wrestling; I can always rely on a double-leg takedown … it’s just a tackle; I can do this!
“Also there are times when you do get knocked down and you’ve just got to get right back up … the mental toughness and things like that definitely translate from a combative sport to rugby.”
I wanted to ask Olivia about the 2014 World Cup (she represented Canada in both 2014 and 2017). The competition was played in France, won by England, but there were two incredible matches and results during the competition; firstly Ireland’s defeat of New Zealand (the first time any Ireland side, male or female, had ever beaten their Kiwi counterparts in 15s rugby); and the second was Canada’s 18-16 semi-final win over the hosts. It was a compelling game that turned on two breath-taking tries in as many minutes.
Firstly though, how does Olivia look back on that occasion?
Olivia
“It’s definitely one of the highlights of my career. The stadium was just packed with people, and even though we beat the home team, they were just cheering for good rugby; and I think that shows you what kind of a different sport rugby is.
“I think I only came on with 20 minutes left but it was such a great feeling and then to go on to the final was crazy as well. I think I’ve been chasing that same feeling and hoping to go to this World Cup to get it again … except with a better result!”
Those two tries I mentioned came early in the second half; the first from an outrageous dummy and run from the base of a ruck by stand-in scrum half Elissa Alarie; the second from a French attacking scrum five yards out from the Canadian line, which was won against the head and resulted in a thrilling length of the field score from Magali Harvey.
It must be quite hard to keep emotions in check whether you’re on the field or the bench when you witness two such special moments?
Olivia
“I am a rather calm player, especially when I come onto the field as an impact sub. I like the excitement, but I know that I have a certain job to do for my team and hopefully play a part in us being successful.”
Since then, Olivia and Emily have played together for Canada – they agreed on 2017 after a bit of deliberation. The next World Cup is due to be held in New Zealand later this year; is that something that they’re allowing themselves to think about?
Olivia
“Definitely; I think both of us have been working really hard to get those camp invites. We have a camp in June and then selection will go on from there; we’ll have Can-Ams [fixtures between Canada and the USA] before heading to New Zealand.”
Emily
“I totally agree about working hard for the top-50 camp invite; from where I am in my international career to where Liv is, I think my big focus will be trying to get the top-50 invite and then going from there.
“With how my career has gone of these last few years, it’s easier for me to focus on just one thing at a time instead of trying to build long term … it keeps things far more enjoyable if by the off-chance they don’t go your way.
“It is something that we do think and talk about quite a bit though, especially this year with there being absolutely no rugby in Canada, except for small training groups. It’s a huge privilege to be here; and I think especially after the first couple of months when we found our feet, the amount of rugby knowledge and experience amongst the players and staff that we’re exposed to is also a cool way to learn and grow as players leading up to what will hopefully be camp invites.”
Olivia
“I think it puts many of the players who are able to play in these leagues in a good spot for camp; and it also shows those people who are maybe on the cusp that bit more time to show the coaches and selectors what they can contribute to a team.”
The 2021 World Cup should be a fantastic competition and I’m really looking forward to being able to support England as well as cheering on all the Chiefs players that make it into their respective national squads.
For now though, the focus remains very much on the domestic game; and interestingly, both Olivia and Emily are no strangers to English club rugby…
Olivia
“I came over first in 2013 and then again in 2016. The first time I came over, we were playing on the old Sarries [Saracens] club pitch, so it was a real step up when I came back and played at the Allianz Stadium. I had great coaching there, but coming into the Chiefs this year, with the amount of skills that we get to do, the gym time, the big group we get to practice with, and the extra coaches coming in; it’s been really great.”
Emily
"Just from a women’s rugby point of view in England, this is my third year here in a row and even from my first year until now, your top team was here [Emily’s right hand was held up flat just above her head] and your bottom team was here [Emily’s left hand was parallel to her right, but below her neck]; but now the standard is all narrowing in week in week out [as confirmed by Emily’s palms being just an inch or so apart … to be honest, this worked so much better visually]; the results aren’t predictable, which I think is helping all the teams and the growth of the women’s game – and to be taken seriously as a professional league.”
Olivia
“I think that even the first time I came over, I ate through all my savings because I couldn’t get a job, and the second time I worked like a dog because I got a full-time job; but this time I’ve been able to live off what I make from the games. It’s been really good to just focus on rugby and I’m in a good spot.”
The Covid guidelines have affected almost every aspect of the women’s game, and for those involved in the Premier 15s competition, this has meant that the opportunity to play in front of a crowd (to build that fan base and create much-needed revenue) has been limited – in Exeter’s case – to just one fixture.
Up until lockdown, the home Sandy Park faithful had been an integral part of the matchday experience for the Exeter men’s squad, but how did it feel to get that first taste of playing in front of what will hopefully become an equally vociferous band supporting the Chiefs women’s team?
Olivia
“I think it was really great to have the audience there. They’re really animated in the game; you could tell when the excitement was up, or when a good play happened. You really thrived off the sounds of the crowd, and their energy was definitely transferred into the game.”
Emily
“Sandy Park has a great atmosphere, and I’m super-excited for post-Covid when we can see Sandy Park in full action, but having a crowd was so cool and it was great at the end because it was rugby fans who just want rugby to thrive for women in the south west, which is also super-awesome.”
Whilst being unable to play in front of crowds is obviously a blow, it’s been great to see so many recent Chiefs games streamed live, giving the new squad a chance to showcase their skills to a growing audience; and hopefully this will result in sizeable crowds heading to Sandy Park once the turnstiles eventually reopen. Are the players aware of how well their performances are being received?
Olivia
“I think even if you look at the YouTube views, you can see that week after week it’s growing, I think that’s a really positive and hopefully we can make the games even more accessible on other platforms as well.
“We bike to Sandy Park and we’ve had people stop us and say congratulations on the game, and if we’re wearing our Chiefs stuff, they’ll stop and ask us a few questions, which is great.”
It’s lovely to hear that there is at least some interaction with supporters in a city where rugby plays such a central role; but even more important has been the opportunity to really get to know their new team mates … even if some of that interaction has to be done ‘virtually’…
Emily
“I think we’ve been able to learn so much, like what their typical Christmas would look like compared to ours. It’s very cheesy, but differences have brought us together even more. Even the girls who grew up in England, it’s interesting to hear about their rugby pathway versus Spain, versus Canada or the US … it’s very cool.”
Olivia
“I think that because there are so many of us that are foreigners, we didn’t have anything else and we kind of found each other, got to know each other and really brought our team together.
“Unfortunately, because of our protocols we have to disband as soon as we can after a game. Last Sunday we did have a Zoom ‘Coffee Club’ which was great, but it’s not the same as being able to sit around and have a beer after the game.
“Even with the Six Nations coming up, how many of us would love to be in a pub with a pint of beer to watch the games? It’s a shame, but for now, I just think we need to roll with the punches…
It’s easy to forget that Olivia and Emily are a long way from home. I can appreciate that over 3,500 miles separates England and Canada; but what really surprised me was the fact that if Olivia was to drive non-stop from her home to Emily’s, it would take two days!
I presume that’s down to distance rather than the speed Olivia drives, but how do the pair cope with being so far away from their families?
Olivia
“For me it is quite tough. My family’s pretty close and luckily technology’s pretty good so I’m able to talk to them all the time. It’s even harder with lockdown, because you’re not out doing things, but we’ve been doing a lot of rugby and we’ve been pretty creative in the house to keep us busy.
“You just have to be grateful for being here, being able to play rugby, the sport that you love, being able to prep for a World Cup; so I’m very thankful that I’m here … but it’s hard not to miss home a bit.”
Emily
“I’m still doing alright with it. The last few seasons I’ve been over here, I’ve stayed for as many as eleven months of the year without being back home. I’ve always been a little bit more that way though. As soon as I graduated high school, I was like ‘I’m going to Calgary’, moving across the country; I still obviously contact my family, but I’m perhaps less of a home-body as maybe Liv is!
“I’m still really proud of where I come from. Souris is a small town, but the passion for rugby that our coach and all the players had and still have is super-cool. I think that people sometimes assume that because you’re from the middle of Manitoba, there can’t be good rugby there, but there is; and it’s cool that I’m doing what I’m doing now, that I started somewhere – and that somewhere was Souris.”
The Canadian duo are clearly committed to playing their part in establishing Exeter as a real force in English club rugby, as well as doing whatever they can to earn a place in the Canadian World Cup squad. Off the field though, what are the immediate goals?
Emily
“So many of us would love to go and help coach in local clubs or pop in to say any age grade really. There are so many young girls down here who are so excited because they’ve got the Exeter Chiefs women, but it’s how can we get out into the community and show the girls that they can do it, and it can be a realistic path.
“You don’t have to have played in a World Cup; if you put in the hard work now, the pathway here is so good, and we just need to make those connections and show that we are just real women who’ve worked hard and taken our opportunities. I would really like to see that before the season ends; all the leagues might not be underway, but even going on a Zoom call and doing a Q&A to start building that community…”
Olivia
“Well said!!”
I found the whole experience of chatting to two elite international athletes at the same time absolutely fascinating. There were so many nods of agreement, smiles and moments when the pair burst out laughing (often at the quality of my questions) that gave me a sense of friendship, purpose, and a hint at just how closely-knit this Exeter squad has become.
As housemates, team mates and international colleagues, it’s not surprising that the pair get on extremely well. Olivia and Emily were great company, open and really engaging, and clearly enjoying being part of something new and special … helping to build a foundation for the future and starting to create a legacy that will inspire the next generation of girls to take up the sport of rugby union.
© Richard Kirby, Olivia DeMerchant and Emily Tuttosi 2021