Aurora Barbarians player Chloe Daniels is set to achieve a childhood dream to play for the Canadian women’s sevens rugby team at the Olympics, and has been been named the team’s vice-captain ahead of Paris 2024.
Daniels, 21, was selected for her first Olympics as part of the 13-player squad that will represent Canada.
“It was surreal, it is so exciting to finally hear those words, a dream come true,” said Daniels, speaking from her training camp in Auxerre, France. “It was something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl.”
The Sutton-born rugby star got her start playing rugby in Aurora with the Barbarians at the age of 10, and she has been part of the club ever since.
“I’ve been a part of the club for 11 years, and I’m still a part of the club. I love to go back and either coach sessions or be involved in any way I can, but it’s a great club, it’s been a huge part of my journey,” she said. “The club has been a huge support, and it really is just like a family. It’s really cool to see how much support I have from them.”
Daniels’ sister and father have both played for the Barbarians, with dad Nick coaching several of the teams Daniels has played on throughout the years.
“It kind of chokes you up, it’s an emotional thing seeing your youngest, I still think of her as being my little kid,” said Nick Daniels. “But to have the realization she’s going to be an Olympian is pretty special, and it’s quite emotional.”
Nick and several other family members will travel to watch Daniels in action in Paris. The team has been in France for several days leading up to the tournament, preparing at a training camp in the small town of Auxerre.
“We’re kind of in our own world over here, just in training camp, which is really nice to focus on us and prepare,” said Daniels, adding she’s looking forward to experiencing the tournament alongside her teammates.
"They really are some of my best friends. The Village, Paris, and everything together, it should be super special.”
Daniels made her debut for Canada in 2021, and has become an important figure for the team. The women’s sevens team is coming off a fifth-place finish in the HSBC SVNS Series, a globe-trotting series of sevens tournaments.
In the final leg of the series in Madrid, the team finished fourth, which has “given this group a lot of belief in ourselves,” according to Daniels, adding that “the momentum has been building throughout the season.”
The Canadian women’s team faces a tough start to the Olympics having been drawn in Pool A, alongside SVNS Series winners New Zealand, Fiji and the People's Republic of China.
Rugby sevens will take place July 28 to 30 at the Stade de France in Paris.
