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'We were truly heartbroken': Elissa Alarie on Canada's World Cup motivation
By Joe Harvey
“I can’t believe another Rugby World Cup is about to kick-off,” Elissa Alarie grinned from her Vancouver home.
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It was almost three years ago that the former Canada full-back ended her career with semi-final defeat to the Red Roses at Eden Park. It is a game regarded as an all-time classic, as the Canadians narrowly lost out 26-19 to the eventual tournament runners-up.
An agonising defeat for the Canadians, who were in the race late on after Alarie’s break led Tyson Beukeboom to dot down in the 68th minute, has in some ways fuelled the North Americans ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
“I remember in the first 20 minutes I couldn’t feel my legs,” the Quebec born back laughed. “We just sprinted back and forth. Both teams wanted it so bad. Both teams believed that they were going to win it until the very end.
“I don’t know how long the first few plays went, but I felt like there was never a stoppage. I remember as a back three, there was no wind at player level and the second the ball was kicked the wind was insane. It was like a tunnel.
“I felt like our team really believed and we were truly heartbroken, just shattered, after that game. We kept improving every single game of that World Cup and I think we just needed a few more things to go our way and maybe more time together.”
Now her life could not be more different.
Since retiring from rugby Alarie has travelled the world without a pair of rugby boots in her bag, bought a house, got married and eight months ago gave birth to her first child, Paxton.
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“All the things you do within steps usually, maybe over a 10-year period, we (she and her partner, Jac) did in 18 months and then had a child!”
Throughout the call Alarie glanced at the baby monitor on her desk. Nearly three years on from her last game on a rugby field the 39-year-old regularly feels the aches and pains of her rugby career.
“We’re going camping this weekend and I already know what my neck is going to be like when we get back.
“I had an ACL and meniscus (injury), so if I have a few days not moving my knee starts stiffening up. It was all worth it. 100 per cent. It forces me to take care of my body even more.”
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It was a career that saw her compete at three World Cups and an Olympic Games across a nine year period.
She is regarded as one of the finest to ever don her nation’s jersey thanks to trademark mazy runs, ability to beat the first defender and sheer delight of playing at breakneck speed.
When Alarie tunes into international games she is grateful that she is not the person experiencing the physical torment of Test rugby and looks on in amazement as her long-time teammates Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant and Karen Paquin prepare to compete at a fourth World Cup.
This time around Canada are among the favourites to win the tournament outright.
A powerful 2024 showing took the side to second in the World Rugby rankings, saw three players in the Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year and picked up a maiden win over Rugby World Cup holders New Zealand in Christchurch.
Their preparations for this year’s tournament have been similarly impressive, and the world has taken notice.
“To hear that sentence is just like a dream come true in a lot of ways,” Alarie grinned. “We were top four leading into New Zealand, and we were never talked about, regardless of what was going on.
“We had that belief, but it was a secret belief in some ways. Now seeing that the world is seeing Canada as a real contender, as they should, is really exciting.
“Kévin (Rouet, Canada head coach) has done such a great job with the programme. He’s one of the smartest rugby coaches I’ve been lucky enough to have been coached by.
“You can just tell now they’ve had years to implement the systems that he had the vision to implement. Everyone’s bought in and I can see the trust in themselves.”
Alarie remembers all too well the last time that Canada were close to becoming world champions.
A year after making her international debut in 2013 she was included in her first World Cup squad. Throughout the tournament she was a fixture at full-back and combined with Magali Harvey and Julianne Zussman in the back three.
When injury struck the squad Alarie was moved to scrum-half. She finished their semi-final victory against host nation France at half-back.
She started there in the 2014 World Cup final as the Canadians lost 21-9 against England in Paris. It was the only game she ever started at scrum-half.
While it was a disappointing result, it marked the start of increased visibility for rugby back in Canada as national broadcaster TSN picked up each of the national team’s game for the first time.
In the 11 years since that tournament, Canada have won two Olympic medals in rugby sevens, the Red Roses have set the world alight as a professional outfit, with the Black Ferns doing the same, claiming two World Cup titles along the way.
That journey has led to this year’s tournament, which is due to be the best-attended and most-watched Women’s Rugby World Cup to date.
“People at home saw Canadian rugby on TV,” Alarie said. “For me as a kid, I would watch the Montréal Canadiens and the Olympics on that channel.
“I just remember being unable to find rugby. I would have to go to the internet and find a stream somewhere. Then I was playing a game on TV. That was wild. Completely wild.
“There’s this big wave of women’s sports visibility, at least in North America, and in women’s rugby as well.”
Alarie’s time on the rugby field has also provided a firm foundation in the early days of being a parent to Paxton.
Former teammates Mandy Marchak and Julianne Zussman both had their first children around the same time. They now share a groupchat where they talk about the trial and errors of parenthood, along with the laughs along the way.
On social media Alarie’s partner, Jac, joked that the former Canada international could still beat her at pickleball at 40 weeks pregnant and cried less than her during childbirth. This, apparently, was a surprise to no one.
A different pace of life. It has presented a lot of new challenges. But it is hard for the 39-year-old not to love every single second.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said. “It’s just so fun getting to know her and there are these different milestones every month.
“I think that toddler age is harder, but right now it’s just like wearing a 20lb vest and continuing our lives with this fun little munchkin that makes us smile and laugh all the time.”
Canada kick off their 2025 World Cup campaign against Fiji on Saturday 23rd August in York.