Canada fly-half Taylor Perry knows a thing or two about heartbreak. At 24 the Exeter Chiefs playmaker has suffered two ACL injuries and missed two years of her senior career desperately trying to get back to her best.
After another 11 months on the sidelines, the playmaker decided to pursue selection for the Olympic Games. Making strides in the shortened format of the game, Perry saw herself become a regularly relied upon player for Hanratty.
Going to the Olympics seemed likely before another injury put her place in jeopardy and she was named as a travelling reserve. It was pretty disgusting. Round 16 of Premiership Women's Rugby saw a remarkable weekend in which all away teams recorded a victory and Harlequins and Gloucester-Hartpury secured semi-final places.
Ultimately, Perry took the place of Krissy Scurfield after the flyer sustained a lacerated kidney in the pool stage of the competition. Losing her sim card in France, it was a fortnight of serene silence and switch-off after such a whirlwind of emotion in recent years. Hoping to be selected for a second World Cup, and step out on the pitch this time, it was straight back to the training field.
Before winning her first cap against New Zealand in the year-old was contemplating a return to university. Now, even seven months away, Canada are favourites to take to the Twickenham turf alongside England in the World Cup final. With expectations having sky-rocketed, it is apparent that Canada are taking everything in their stride. In her second spell with the team after taking part in their debut top flight campaign almost half a decade ago, the competition is almost unrecognisable.
