Women’s sevens side on push to podium in Calgarian’s first Olympic experience
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight …
It’s the size of the fight in the dog.
So to get to the Olympic Games in the physical sport of rugby, the size of the fight in Calgary’s Piper Logan must be pretty big.
“Yeah, I think sometimes it can come to be a surprise when people ask me what I do and I say, ‘I’m a rugby player,’” said Logan, who stands in at a scant 5-foot-5, 132 lb. “It’s maybe not the first thing that people would think because I am smaller.
“But I would hope that, on and off the field, people would look to me as being tough and resilient,” continued Logan. “I don’t think it takes size to be tough. I think it’s a mentality, and it makes it a lot easier when you’re doing it with people around you that have the same goals. It keeps you on track.”
On track for — hopefully — a podium finish with Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Logan, 23, is a key part of the nation’s rugby sevens squad that throws its weight at a medal run at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France.
The sport actually opens on Wednesday ahead of the Games Opening Ceremonies, which are slated for Friday. But Logan and the Canadian women don’t line up for the first match until the weekend.
“We have spoken a lot this year about whether we want to be just Olympians and have the experience of going or if we want to be Olympic medallists,” Logan said. “And I think that our goal going into Paris is we want to be on a podium, and I think this year, we’ve shown that we can do that. So those are our hopes and our goals, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Canada gets Fiji first on Sunday (9:30 a.m. MT) followed by a tilt versus powerhouse New Zealand later the same day (1:30 p.m. MT).
“New Zealand is obviously a big challenge,” Logan said. “But no matter the team we face, we’re going to stick to our process the same way we would with any team.”
It helps that they beat the bigger dog in the Kiwis at a major tune-up event for the Olympics — the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid last month. The convincing 26-17 victory, which saw Logan herself with score off a rolling maul, marked the first time Canada’s female sevens have beaten New Zealand since 2016.
“I think we’ve had a really great season and a lot of really great opportunities from our last stop in Madrid up until Paris to really prep us,” Logan said. “We had a little training camp against the United States for two days in California, which was really great to get some competition in. We played really well against them.
“And last week, we actually had a few games against France. And so we’ve had a lot of opportunities to get some games in. And I think we’ve been consistent.”
To complete Pool A preliminary play, Logan & Co. square off against China on Monday (8 a.m. ET), with hopes of reaching the playoff round later that day.
The medal matches then go Tuesday (11 a.m. MT).
“I think being able to beat New Zealand in Madrid gave us a lot of confidence,” continued Logan. “And I think that we’ll carry that going into Paris knowing that it’s very much possible and very much in our own hands to decide the fate of that game. So … yeah … looking forward to it.”
The Ernest Manning High School graduate is also looking forward to sharing the Olympic experience with those she grew up with in her formative rugby years.
Fellow Albertans Krissy Scurfield — of Canmore — Keyara Wadley — of Vulcan — and Fancy Bermudez — of Edmonton — are also part of the Canadian crew.
“We’re all very proud to represent Alberta, and it’s really cool to be able to grow up with them and youth rugby, and then to be able to achieve this together is really special,” Logan said. “I’m very much excited for them, as well. They’ve earned it. I’m so proud of them. We’re very close.
“The whole team is very, very close-knit.”
Logan herself joined the Canadian close-knit pack only a few years ago, earning a spot on the 2022 Commonwealth Games crew in Birmingham, England, where it lost to New Zealand in the bronze-medal game.
Since then, she’s found her groove for the Canucks, suiting up at the scrum-half position, to become the Olympian she is today.
“Yeah, I think being a newer player around the Commonwealth Games, I didn’t have a lot of expectations really for myself,” continued Logan. “I just wanted to go out there and have some fun. I think now it’s a little bit different in that I’ve been with the team for a few years, and I think my role is just to do my job, make my passes, make my tackles and stay positive and kind of be a voice with my teammates on the field.”
Indeed, she’s come a long way to her Olympic debut after initially breaking into the sport by joining the Calgary Canucks first-ever women’s team in 2016.
Along the way, Logan’s found the size of her fight — mostly at wing — with the Calgary Hornets, the Calgary Mavericks and the U SPORTS’ UBC Thunderbirds.
“I think it really just takes dedication of the game and love for the game and putting everything into it,” added Logan. “I mean … I don’t think I really saw my full potential until I was in a full-time training environment. And then I really decided, ‘Hey, I’m going to commit to this full-time — put everything into this.’ And I really started seeing the results that I wanted.
“I think that’s kind of where I got to where I was today — just putting in everything I could.”