A mere six weeks after winning an Olympic gold medal in the two-man bobsleigh in Vancouver, Heather Moyse will lace up her rugby boots for a 10-day training camp as she looks to make Canada's squad for Women's Rugby World Cup 2010.
Moyse is no stranger to switching between bobsleigh and rugby, having banished the heartbreak of narrowly missing out on a bronze medal at the last Winter Olympic Games to end the year as the leading try scorer at Women's Rugby World Cup 2006.
The Canadian flyer will join 29 other players for the intensive training camp in Olds, an hour north of Calgary, which was hastily arranged after the planned two-test tour of New Zealand was cancelled last month.
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Moyse and the other domestic-based players will be joined by national captain Leslie Cripps and Sarah Ulmer, who both play for Saracens in England for the camp, which gives coach Johnathan Long some "invaluable" preparation time.
"We are able to have more time to ensure our preparation is right, even with no real game preparation taking place. The logistics of this country make every opportunity for us to have everyone at a camp important," explained Long.
Places up for grabs
"Now we can analyse performance at each training session and work on key areas identified during our last three tours. Everything is building towards the World Cup and you only have to watch the Women's Six Nations to see that the two teams in our group, Scotland and France, are both preparing well.
"The plan of the camp is to focus on solidifying factors like making our opportunities count, and bending but not breaking in defence. Conditioning is also a major element for us to see how we are progressing. I am using the word 'honesty' as a key word for everyone, including the staff. We have to get things to a level where we have confidence in our plans."
Long may not have to select his 26-strong squad for the World Cup until July, but after this camp he will only have the players together for another 10-day period around two tests with USA in June and the National Women's League before then.
"We are taking 30 players to the camp but this is by no means the final opportunity," insisted Long. "We must have the best 26 players going to the World Cup and although being at the camp is a large advantage, it's what you do on the field in terms of performance that will ensure your seat on the plane to England."
Canada's quest to better their fourth position at the last two Women's Rugby World Cup received a boost last month with CAN$155,000 raised over the course of the Rugby Canada Annual General Assembly weekend to enable the squad to arrive at the World Cup on top form.
"I would like to say a big thank you publicly to the Rugby Canada board for the kind personal donations to the programme, and secondly the provinces for their continuing support. The financial relief for the players is a huge burden off their hands and I am very grateful for that," added Long.
Canada squad for training camp:
Marie-Eve Brindamour-Carignan, Andrea Burk, Leslie Cripps (Captain), Kim Donaldson, Marlene Donaldson, Gillian Florence, Maria Gallo, Megan Gibbs, Brooke Hilditch, Corinne Jacobsen, Heather Jaques, Shannon Kane, Jennifer Kish, Paige Knauf, Ashley MacDonald, Mandy Marchak, Lesley McKenzie, Barbara Mervin, Heather Moyse, Darcy Patterson, Ashley Patzer, Cheryl Phillips, Danielle Rowlands, Kelly Russel, Anna Schnell, Laura Stoughton, Julia Sugawara, Sarah Ulmer, Brittany Waters, Julianne Zussman.
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