Magali Harvey bitter over exclusion from Olympic rugby sevens squad

MONTREAL — Don’t count on Magali Harvey to be glued to her television during the women’s rugby sevens matches at the Rio Olympics.

Harvey, who was named World Rugby’s Player of the year in 2014 in 15s play, broke her silence 20 days after she learned she was being left off Canada’s Olympic squad.

“If it happens that I have time available I’ll watch it, but it won’t be my priority,” she said during a conference call on Wednesday.

“I know it seems a bit bitter…it’s heavy.”

The 25-year-old Quebec City native said her emotions progressed from “surprise to anger to grief” after head coach John Tait told her she’d been “outclassed” during the selection trials.

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“It was a total shocker, I didn’t expect it,” she said. “I was blank. I didn’t have any emotions because I thought I was going.”

Harvey’s exclusion caused a ripple of shock when Rugby Canada announced the 12-woman Olympic roster on July 8.

In justifying his decision, Tait cited Harvey’s inconsistent play and an ankle injury that forced her to sit out four months before returning to play last winter.

Ashley Steacy, who hasn’t played in a single tournament this season, was nevertheless selected to the squad.

“It’s true I was hurt this year, but I thought my recent performances would have allowed me to make the team,” Harvey said.

But despite her disappointment, she said she didn’t want to blame her teammates.

“I can’t be bitter at my teammates, I can only be happy for them, because it’s a great opportunity, a great experience, and in the end they didn’t choose to be selected or not selected,” she said.

The veteran player hinted at friction with Tait, and admitted being left off the Olympic roster was “a big slap in the face.”

“Would I ever go back and be treated the way that I was? No, I wouldn’t want to,” she said. “But that being said, I still love the game of rugby and I think that if I stop right now I’m cheating myself.”

The final nail in the coffin came on Tuesday when she was excluded from the Canadian team’s promotional trip to Toronto, meaning she’s been dropped from the list of reserve players for Rio.

Her Olympic dream officially over, Harvey says she now plans to shift her focus to making the 15s squad for the 2017 World Cup.

Beyond that, she’s not ruling anything out.

“I’m open to different options, including going overseas and learning to love rugby again,” she said. 

The Canadian team, which sits third in the World Series standings behind Australia and New Zealand, will be part of the ‘C’ pool in Rio along with Great Britain, Brazil and Japan.

The women’s rugby sevens tournament kicks off August 6.

Alexandre Geoffrion-McInnis, The Canadian Press