We are pleased to announce the winner of the 2022 Courtney Taaffe Award is Samantha Rebitt.
Samantha is a second-year student at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, pursuing a double major in Biology and Environmental Science. She currently plays scrum half for the Dalhousie Women’s club team, but her ties to rugby start on Vancouver Island, in BC.
Samantha grew up in the Comox Valley, attending GP Vanier high school, where her love for rugby began. She joined the Vanier rugby team in grade 9, and her passion for the sport grew over her high school years, turning her into a captain of the senior girls’ rugby team. Currently she keeps up with the sport by not only playing for Dal, but also by returning to help coach the Vanier girls’ rugby team when she is back on the island.
Besides rugby, Samantha enjoys many other sports including mountain biking and volleyball. She is also a member of the Rotaract Club of Halifax, helping give back to her community, and is passionate about the environment and nature.
Currently, her future plans include either conservation ecology or teaching, spending lots of time in nature, and of course, continuing to be involved in the rugby community.
Samantha would like to thank everyone involved in the Canadian Rugby Foundation for their continual devotion to the sport and is extremely honoured and grateful to receive the 2022 Courtenay Taaffe Memorial Award.
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The Courtney Taaffe Award is presented by the Canadian Rugby Foundation (in conjunction with the Charlton L. Smith Foundation and the Taaffe family)
Courtenay Taaffe was vibrant, determined, talented and dedicated; she had endless energy and enthusiasm for her passions in life, one of which was the sport of rugby. This scholarship was created in 2005 to honour Courtenay’s rugby passion and life achievements. The successful recipient will share some of the many qualities Courtenay did including a strong work ethic, both in the classroom and on the field, as well as an enthusiastic and determined personality. She played hooker and flanker for UVic, James Bay, Crimson Tide and Team B.C. She coached the JBAA junior women, the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide junior women, the Vancouver Island Japan Club team and the Stelly’s Secondary Queen Bees. Courtenay set a precedent for hard work and accomplishment in the sport of women’s rugby. Courtenay passed away at the age of 29 of a rare and aggressive lymphoma.
This scholarship is annually awarded to a female athlete who excels in rugby, academics and community service. It is open to 17-28 year old players/coaches/referees who are pursuing a full-time degree, diploma or certificate program at a Canadian university or college on Vancouver Island. Students commencing or continuing full-time studies in the fall are eligible.
For more information on the Courtney Taaffe Award and Fund, go here: https://canadianrugbyfoundation.ca/index.php/support-a-fund/scholarship/courtenay-taaffe-memorial-scholarship/
