After four years of success at the University of Guelph’s women’s rugby program, Maddy Ryan is looking to help the team become a national champion.
Ryan, who pursued rugby as her main sport, was originally following her family’s path into basketball, which she considered her first love for a sport.
“From a very young age, I was very involved with many sports [and] my family was big into basketball. My dad played and both he and my grandfather were referees. It was nice because both of them coached me in house league when I was growing up,” she said. “My mom is currently the president for the Brantford CYO Girls Basketball program, and then my dad was president for the Boys program for around five years, as well as my grandfather being on the board…so my family is what got me into the sport.”
While basketball was important to Ryan, she would then discover an unmatched passion for rugby.
“Rugby was kind of a fluke thing that I got into when I was in high school. I was playing for the St. John’s girls’ basketball team, and then the rugby season came along in the spring, and I thought it would be a cool sport to play,” she explained. “My dad played; along with some other family members…so, I thought I would give it a try. And from the moment I stepped on the field I fell in love with the sport, and never looked back.”
Despite having an exceptional run with the St. John’s basketball girls’ team across three seasons, helping them capture multiple city and OFSAA championships; her talent for rugby didn’t go unnoticed.
“In Grade nine, my rugby coach Marcie McGeein, saw something in me, and she recommended that I try out for the provincial team, which I ended up making the U-16 Ontario team…that experience sparked something in me for the game…and I ended up played for the team for two summers,” she explained. “In the second summer, I was the captain of the team, and we came away with a bronze medal at nationals. [But] I had to make a decision when I got to Grade 12 as I had to choose the university I wanted to go to. I was better at rugby than I was at basketball, because I had just been focusing on it more: playing with more elite teams, [and] getting better exposure. And I simply loved every second of being on the field playing rugby.”
However, Ryan, during this time, would also gain tremendous experience playing for the Harlequins rugby program in Brantford.
“Being with them really taught me and showed me the love for the game. The fondest memories I have are practices and getting to know everyone at the club. I remember watching the senior women’s play and just thinking, ‘Wow, these girls are amazing, I would love to play at that level one day,’” she said. “But for me, rugby was truly about the love for the sport and bringing up great athletes and working on character and that kind of thing. And Harlequins taught me the love of the game, and I’ll forever be grateful for what I learned.”
Ryan would then be part of the Rugby Canada Development Academy from Grades ten to 12, and would eventually choose the University of Guelph to continue her studies while playing rugby.
“I made my decision based on the fact that Guelph had a great program for what I wanted to get into, which is biomedical toxicology…as well as the fact that they have a legacy for rugby…and proving their dominance every year in OUA,” Ryan said. “I thought these are going to be my most crucial years of playing and really developing as a player…and Guelph would give me a chance in fulfilling that and going further with rugby with an Ontario title and even a national one.”
The first year at Guelph was a little tough for Ryan, adjusting to university life.
“Coming in, I didn’t think that I would play very much as a first year. I was very timid [as] I was in university at 17, and some of the girls I was playing with were as old as 26. So, I was very nervous going into my first season, of course [but] I made great friends who I met then, and we bonded since then,” she reflected. “It’s crazy to look back…I was so young when I came to Guelph… just trying to work hard every day [and] to prove to myself that I deserved to be here.”
Nevertheless, Ryan was surprised to get a chance to dress for the first game of the season against the McMaster Maunders. She went on to have a great rookie year.
“I remember waking up getting an email and seeing that I was a dressing athlete for that game…I was so overjoyed to be playing with these girls and stepping foot on the field that game. And it just showed me that I was able to be there, and I deserved to be there, and that I worked very hard [to achieve that],” said Ryan. “I believe I dressed for all those games in my first year, except for one, and then I was selected to be the 26th man for the national squad. [Although] I didn’t get to play, I [still] got to be there with the team and support them through that tournament, which was truly incredible.”
Along with individual accolades, Ryan was a part of the Guelph team that became OUA champions in her first year. She would also make the transition to playing for Guelph Rugby Club during the summer months to keep sharp.
“It was a decision based solely on the fact that I wanted to get better in that short time and really play more in my second year [and] for the past three years, I’ve played on that Guelph Rugby Club summer team, and we’ve been the Ontario Women’s League champions every year,” explained Ryan.
After the Queen’s Gaels won back-to-back years, Ryan and the Gryphons would reclaim the title in thrilling fashion in 2024.
“We had a great season this year losing only one time and going to Kingston for the OUA final which came down to the last play. We got the kick, and we won the game. And it was a great feeling to be the best and win against Queens [as they are] our biggest rival in the league,” recalled Ryan.
After the win, the Gryphons were off to the USports nationals in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island where they were to meet some stiff competition, battling hard against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the quarter-finals.
“We had a great pool, and came out that first game, and it was such a battle. We were up, up 12-0 and we just went cold [and] ended up losing against Ottawa, 17-12. We kind of just regrouped as a team after that, [and] stayed connected through that tournament…we came into the second game firing and beat the host team,” she said.
However, Ryan would go down with multiple injuries on a play in their second game of the tournament against the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers.
“I was coming off the bench and within the first few minutes, I was able to make a line break off of a successful scrum. Unfortunately, I fell awkwardly through a tackle and ended up with a bad break to my arm and wrist. This required emergency surgery within the first 24 hours,” she explained. “But I was back with my team and able to support them in our victory against Laval which gave us fifth place [in the national]. Being with my teammates to end the season was one of the most important things to me at nationals. I am now on the road to recovery and hope to see the field in early summer.”
