Three members of the Concordia Stingers women's team are heading to Las Vegas this week to represent Quebec in the largest rugby competition in North America.
Head coach Jocelyn Barrieau, Shawna Brayton and Emma Gallagher are off to the desert as part of Rugby Quebec’s entry in the women’s elite division at the Las Vegas Invitational (LVI) Tournament.
Brayton, a native of Châteauguay, Que., was a second team RSEQ all-star in 2018. The back row player has an impressive rugby résumé reflecting time spent with Team Quebec, the national U20 team and at Dawson College where she was the team captain.
Gallagher, a centre from Montreal, was a rookie with the Stingers in 2018. But she has extensive experience with the Newfoundland Rock and at Beaconsfield Rugby Club.
Barrieau took over as head coach of the Stingers in the summer of 2018. She also serves as Quebec’s women’s and U18 sevens coach.
The LVI is considered the premier amateur rugby event in the United States, featuring athletes and matchups across a wide-range of rugby divisions and age groups. The LVI features club teams, select sides and national teams from around the world.
More than 275 teams competed in 2018.
The tournament runs from Feb. 28 through March 2. Preliminary games take place Feb. 28 with Quebec facing the Northeast Olympic Development Academy, U.S. Air Force and Roots, a club team. Playoffs begin the following day.
