SURREY — They say three times is lucky, and Julia Sugawara is hoping that is true while she prepares for her third world cup.
The Semiahmoo Secondary alumnus has been chosen for Canada's Rugby Fifteens for the third consecutive time to participate in the 2014 IRB Women's Rugby World Cup.
She credits her time in high school for giving her a leg up in the sport she loves.
"I definitely got a huge start at Semi. I had great coaching and it was where I first started to fall in love with the game and figure things out. My coach really helped set me up to succeed at the rep level," said Sugawara.
The scrumhalf and her fellow teammates are already in France - where the tournament is being held from August 1-17.
The national team will be looking to improve on their sixth-place finish in 2010. With this potentially being her last world cup, Sugawara is hoping to bring back some hardware.
"We're hoping to do much better than (sixth). I think we have a good chance to," she said.
Canada has been placed in Pool A along with Samoa, Spain and England.
"With the way the tournament is structured, if you don't win your pool you have to be the best second-placed team to go through.
The easy route would be to win all our pool games," Sugawara said.
Team Canada has conquered Spain twice at the world cup - in 1991 and 2006 - but has never played Samoa in international competition.
Sugawara believes England is Canada's toughest competition to win the group.
They have finished in second-place in the last three world cups, losing each time to New Zealand.
In April, the national team played in a CAN-AM series against our neighbours to the south.
Canada swept the floor with the U.S. in the first game beating them 51-7 before beating them 14-10 four days later.
In preparation for the world cup, the Canadian national team went on a tour of New Zealand in June to play against Australia and the powerhouse New Zealand Black Ferns.
In the first match against the Aussies, Canada shutout the team from down under 22-0. The following two matches were against the four-time defending world cup champions New Zealand. Canada lost both matches 16-8 and 33-21.
Kelly Russell from Bolton, Ontario will captain the team. Russell has played for the national rugby sevens and fifteens teams has shown leadership on and off the pitch.
In a release Russell said, "It's a huge honour to not only represent your country, but to captain this great group of girls at the world cup."
Fellow British Columbians joining Sugawara on the team are Andrea Burk from North Vancouver, Jessica Dovanne from Victoria, and Hilary Leith and Brittany Waters from Vancouver.
Kim Donaldson, one of Sugawara's Burnaby Lake RFC teammates also made the team.
More information can be found at rwcwomens.com.