Ladysmith’s Kara Galbraith is one of 25 young ladies selected to represent B.C. at the U18 national rugby championships in Quebec next month.
“This year, we have a really good shot of coming in first at nationals,” she said.
Galbraith is a seasoned rugby player who has been playing for about four years. This will be her second stint on the B.C. girls’ U18 team. Last year, Galbraith and her teammates clinched a second-place title at nationals in Calgary.
“Since I was new, I didn’t get much playing time, but it was still pretty intense,” she said.
Galbraith’s love of rugby was ignited in Grade 9, following in the footsteps of her twin brother who joined the Ladysmith Secondary School Blues boys’ rugby team.
She currently plays fullback position.
“I’ve played a lot of sports — soccer, lacrosse, volleyball — and I kept with [rugby] because it has everything I want in a sport,” she said.
In addition to playing for Ladysmith Secondary School, from which she graduated in June, Galbraith has also played with the Cowichan Rugby Club’s Piggies teams, in the women’s and U18 categories.
She is looking forward to continuing to play the game for the University of Victoria, where she will study science and biology in the fall, and has dreams of competing in the 2016 Olympics, where rugby sevens will make its debut.
Galbraith is looking to raise $1,500 by Aug. 1 to be able to participate in the competition Aug. 6-12 and has been canvassing local businesses in the community for sponsorships.
Those interested in helping out can contact 250-739-4182.