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It’s been an emotional week for Canadian rugby fans. Just days after John Moonlight stepped away from the field, Jen Kish has now confirmed her own retirement at the age of 29. The Olympic captain had already stated her intention to hang up the boots at the end of the 2017-18 HSBC Women’s Sevens Series but hip and back injuries have now ruled her out for the remainder of the season.
A dual-international in both Sevens and the 15-a-side game, Kish’s resume speaks for itself. After leading Canada’s u19 side the Edmonton Rockers flanker graduated to full test honors in 2007, winning 16 caps and taking part in the 2010 Women’s World Cup in England.
Kish then switched her focus to the abbreviated code, where she would find her greatest success. Under her leadership Canada won Silver at the 2013 Women’s World Cup Sevens, Gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games, and perhaps most memorably Bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
She was named to the official Dream Team for the inaugural Olympic Sevens, and was the 2016 Americas Rugby News Sevens Player of the Year competing against both men and women’s candidates.
Her statement in its entirety, as posted on the Rugby Canada website, can be read below.
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“I know my early retirement may come as a shock to some and that I may have let some of you down, but from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the support throughout the years. The decision to not finish the season was not an easy decision, but a necessary one to make for the future of my physical and mental well-being.
“Although these two massive injuries have not prevented me from performing, they have been physically challenging and mentally crippling for me and I’ve reached my capacity to play through it. The decision came down to risk versus reward. It would have been amazing to finish my last season the way I intended to, but I am still very proud of what I have accomplished in my career and I am excited to watch the next generation continue to carry on the program’s legacy.
“To have the opportunity to put on the Canadian Jersey for the past 13 years has been an absolute privilege. To lead the team has been an honor and a dream. I wore the jersey with a lot of pride and nothing will ever come close to giving me that same feeling. What made putting on the jersey so special though were my teammates. To be surrounded with like-minded people who grind it out each day for each other, willing to do whatever it takes, is why I took so much pride in the jersey.
“I strived to be the best I could be, not just for myself but for my teammates. My teammates were my fuel. I found inspiration in them. Watching them dig in during tough sessions and in matches lit a fire within me.
“There are so many people who have contributed to my success and it would take me an entire year to thank them all. However, I would like to thank the Rugby Alberta community for supporting me from day one, along with my family, friends, teammates, medical staff, coaches and fans. Without them, I would not be where I am today.
“A special thanks to coach [John] Tait. It hasn’t always been an easy road and at times I have made his job hard, but a road I am glad he let me travel on. He not only helped develop me into the player I am today, along with the help of all my previous coaches, but he also helped me become a better person because he took the time to get to know me and was there for me, not just in rugby, but outside of it as well.
“I’ll miss travelling around the world, playing in different countries, in stadiums filled with thousands of fans and that feeling I got when I put the Canadian jersey on and stepped out onto the pitch with my teammates. I won’t miss the friendships because they will always be there, long after rugby. That’s the beauty of this sport. Bonds are never broken.”
