Latoya Blackwood facts for kids
| Date of birth | August 19, 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Montreal, Quebec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Western Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Latoya Blackwood, born on August 19, 1985, is a famous Canadian rugby union player. She played for the Canadian national team in two Rugby World Cups. These were in 2014 and 2017. Latoya first played for Canada in 2013 and stopped playing professionally in 2018.
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Latoya Blackwood's Early Life and University Rugby
Latoya Blackwood grew up in Brampton, Ontario. When she was younger, she played basketball. In high school, she found rugby and loved it. In her last year of high school, she even played on the boys' rugby team! After that, she joined a rugby club in Brampton.
Latoya also played rugby while studying at university. She played for the Western Mustangs from 2004 to 2009. Later, she went to Concordia University from 2011 to 2016. There, she played for the Concordia Stingers in her final year of eligibility.
Playing for Rugby Clubs and Provincial Teams
From 2011 to 2015, Latoya played for the Saint Anne de Bellevue RFC club. During this time, in 2012, she was chosen to play for the Rugby Quebec provincial team. This means she played for the best team in the province of Quebec.
To get ready for the 2017 World Cup, Latoya trained with a French team. She joined the Stade Toulousain women's rugby team in September 2015 for a year. When she came back to Canada, Latoya moved to Victoria. She then started playing for the Westshore RFC club.
Latoya Blackwood's International Rugby Career
Latoya Blackwood was a very important player for the Rugby Canada women's team. She played for them from August 2013 until March 2018. Her coach, Francois Ratier, even gave her a special nickname: "The Sheriff." This was because she was a strong and powerful player on the field.
Latoya has many favorite memories from her time playing for Canada. One was her very first game in 2013 at the Nations Cup. In that game, Team Canada beat England for the first time ever! Another great moment was beating France in the semi-finals of the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup. She also loved the game against Wales in the 2017 World Cup. In that match, she made an amazing play, running the ball halfway down the field to set up a try.
Latoya usually played as a "lock" in rugby. Sometimes, she also played as a "flanker." She played in many big international games. These included tours to France, England, and Australia. She also played in the 2014 and 2017 World Cups. In 2015, during the Super Series in Alberta, she was seen as Canada's best player at the "openside flank" position.
In 2017, Latoya was chosen for the New Zealand Summer Series. However, she got a leg injury during a club game. She even thought about stopping rugby. But she healed in time and was able to play in the 2017 World Cup.
Awards and Special Honours
Latoya Blackwood received several awards and honors during her rugby career:
- 2011 - She was named an RSEQ Rugby All-Star for the Concordia University Stingers.
- 2011-2012 - She was recognized as the Fittest Female Athlete for the Concordia University Stingers.
- 2013 - She was chosen for the Scrum Queen's Test Match Team (15s) as a bench player.
- 2016 - She was part of the Scrum Queen's XV Squad of the Year.
- 2019 - She was named to the Scrum Queen's Team of the Decade as a replacement player.
Life After International Rugby
Latoya Blackwood announced she was retiring from international rugby in March 2018. By then, she had already started a new job. She began working for the British Columbia government as a public service employee.
Latoya still loves rugby and stays involved with the sport. She now works as a referee. She hopes to become an official at a future World Cup tournament!
