Jen Kish announces retirement

The former captain, who led Canada to an Olympic bronze medal in 2016, had hoped to finish the season before deciding on her future but injuries have forced her to hang up the boots early.

Rugby fans in this country will surely be disappointed by the news, but it’s a decision the 29-year-old felt she needed to make.

“I know my early retirement may come as a shock to some and that I may have let some of you down, but from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the support throughout the years,” said Kish.

“The decision to not finish the season was not an easy decision, but a necessary one to make for the future of my physical and mental wellbeing.”

For the last six months, the Edmonton native has struggled to train and play through the pain of two previous serious injuries; a hip labral tear sustained last May at the Langford Sevens and two slipped discs in her neck from an injury at the Clermont Sevens in 2016.

“Although these two massive injuries have not prevented me from performing, they have been physically challenging and mentally crippling for me and I’ve reached my capacity to play through it,” said Kish. “The decision came down to risk vs. reward. It would have been amazing to finish my last season the way I intended to, but I am still very proud of what I have accomplished in my career and I am excited to watch the next generation continue to carry on the programs legacy.”

Kish has played an integral role in what that legacy is.

She began playing provincially at the age of 16 and quickly made the jump to Canada’s U-19 Team, captaining the team in 2006-07. While Kish’s future with the national senior women’s team would be spent on the sevens pitch, she started in fifteens, going to three Nations Cups as well as the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

But that’s when Canada’s women’s sevens head coach John Tait convinced her to make the switch to sevens. And it’s a good thing he did, because she went on to become one of the most dominating players in the sport.

Kish captained Canada to a silver medal at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, a gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Talk about owning the podium.

“To have the opportunity to put on the Canadian Jersey for the past 13 years has been an absolute privilege,” said Kish. “To lead the team has been an honour and a dream. I wore the jersey with a lot of pride and nothing will ever come close to giving me that same feeling. What made putting on the jersey so special though were my teammates. To be surrounded with likeminded people who grind it out each day for each other, willing to do whatever it takes, is why I took so much pride in the jersey.”

She is soft spoken, but from her inspirational tattoos to her thunderous tackles, Kish was an intimidating presence on the field. A powerful runner, she would mix in a bit of flair here and there just to remind her opponents there was more than just aerial challenges and big hits.

“I strived to be the best I could be, not just for myself but for my teammates,” said Kish. “My teammates were my fuel. I found inspiration in them. Watching them dig in during tough sessions and in matches lit a fire within me.”

A former finalist for the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award, Kish captained Canada during the programs most successful years which saw the team finish no worse than third in the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.

“I consider her and a handful of others as the foundational players this programs success was built on,” said Tait. “Her growth into becoming one of the most consistent performers not just for our team but in the world of women’s sevens was crucial for not only our teams success but for the growth of rugby in Canada. She has helped inspire so many young girls to take up the game and be like her.”

Kish says she’s been lucky to have grown an incredible support system throughout her career and that those same people stood by her side through the highs and lows.

“There are so many people who have contributed to my success and it would take me an entire year to thank them all,” said Kish. “However, I would like to thank the Rugby Alberta community for supporting me from day one, along with my family, friends, teammates, medical staff, coaches and fans. Without them, I would not be where I am today.

“A special thanks to coach Tait. It hasn't always been an easy road and at times I have made his job hard, but a road I am glad he let me travel on. He not only helped develop me into the player I am today, along with the help of all my previous coaches, but he also helped me become a better person because he took the time to get to know me and was there for me, not just in rugby, but outside of it as well.”

Tait also admits the player and coach had some challenges along the way, but that the two were better for it.

“It took some time and effort to grow the trust level we’ve gotten to,” said Tait. “I learned a heck of a lot about coaching, communication and the value of developing strong leaders within the team from her. A lot was by trial and error but the fact we shared some common goals and a love of competing meant we always had common ground to work from when we didn’t see eye to eye on something.

“She always led by example on-field, either putting her body on the line to win a ball in the air or on the ground, and never backed down from a challenge, the bigger the one the bigger she played. Off-field she was always advocating for her team, the program’s development and women and sport.”

Kish has established a large following on social media and uses her platforms to campaign for women’s participation in sport as well as other societal issues related to sport in general.

“It’s a natural role I find myself in because of the experiences I had growing up and throughout my own journey in chasing my dreams,” said Kish. “I watched a lot of my friends quit sport and not follow their dreams because of gender inequality. I believe there has been progress in the last few years in both rugby and outside of the sport. I hope that continues for an eternity and I encourage women to keep fighting for the things they want in life.”

For her efforts, Kish was named the 2016 Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity most influential athlete.

“She didn’t start where she finished,” said Tait. “She failed many times and many ways but she had the resilience, the drive and the belief in herself to learn from failures and became a world class athlete and person. She has empowered a lot of young people out there who don’t necessarily fit the moulds of normalcy in what they’re passionate about or the expectations of others. That is what makes her so special and me so proud of her.”

Kish would like to stay involved in the sport and continue to inspire the next generation of players but for now she will rehab while turning focus to her personal training business.

“I'll miss travelling around the world, playing in different countries, in stadiums filled with thousands of fans and that feeling I got when I put the Canadian jersey on and stepped out onto the pitch with my teammates.

“I won’t miss the friendships because they will always be there, long after rugby. That's the beauty of this sport. Bonds are never broken.”

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