Ædelhard Booklist 2020
You don’t need to be a bookworm to enjoy a good book. Being well-read automatically makes you a much more interesting individual, so why don’t you add some of these…
Denise Roy – A Return to Rugby, Playing for Herself
It’s okay. You can call it a comeback. Denise Roy hasn’t played a single minute of rugby in more than three years. The last time Roy walked off a rugby…
Canada Sevens Breanne Nicholas – Head Down, Fire Lit, Aim True.
Julia Greenshields knows Breanne Nicholas better than most. So when Greenshields is asked about her Canada Sevens teammate, she explains Nicholas simply as: “She is such a tough, bad-ass girl.”…
Health and Fitness with Andrew Coe
A healthy lifestyle is not a binary decision. For many people, it’s important to continuously play with their diet and daily routine to ensure that they feel healthy. Just because…
A Deep Dive into a Multifaceted Superstar: Pam Buisa
Pam Buisa is sipping a local equivalent of a double-double – the campy Canadian “institution” born out of Tim Hortons in which one bludgeons a cup of coffee with two…
Artists to Add to Your Summertime Playlist
We gave you the playlists, now it’s time to give you the albums and artists that’ll get you grooving this Summer. Check out the list below for some well-known favourites…
GET STRONGER with Charity Williams
23 year old Charity Williams takes her training very seriously. An athlete for most of her life, Charity had dreams early on of being an Olympic medallist, though by her…
A Candid Chat with Anton Ngongo
He’s 22 years old. Born and raised in Victoria. And he has a rugby dream. He’s only played the sport for five years, yet he’s been a mainstay within the…
Ædelhard Spring/Summer 2020 Playlist
Are you tired of listening to the same playlist on repeat everyday? We understand the struggle of working from home and trying to avoid all distractions while remaining productive. Let…
GET STRONGER with Theo Sauder
Vancouver’s Theo Sauder, 24, has played both 7s and 15s rugby, appearing on the World Cup squad in 2019 and also plying his trade for a time with the Toronto…
Quarantine Seasonal Cleaning
The temptation to go outside on a sunny day can feel unbearable, especially if you’re in quarantine. But now that Spring has come and gone, it’s time to finally get…
GET STRONGER with Kainoa Lloyd
25 year old Kainoa Lloyd, from Mississauga Ontario, is a fast winger who spent 2019 with the Toronto Arrows in Major League Rugby. He was called up to the World…
GET STRONGER with Phil Berna
Phil Berna, 24, is from Vancouver and has been a fast-paced member of the Canada Sevens squad since 2016. He is known for his speed, his work rate, his enjoyment…
NOLA has struck Gold with Draft Signee Brian Nault
I was going to write a story about Brian Nault because he was drafted second overall in the inaugural Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft. Then, on a late-June Tuesday night…
Experimenting with Your Caffeine
This quarantine period has its pros and cons. Let’s take coffee for example: on the plus side you’ve probably been saving a ton on your beverage budget from drinking whatever…
Cole Zarcone – Exactly Where He’s Meant to Be, By Chance
Three years ago, a phone call awoke Cole Zarcone at 4 a.m. The voice on the other side of the call was Todd Thornley – Central Washington University men’s rugby…
Looking Sharp From the Waist Up
Have you been called out for not wearing pants on your Zoom meeting yet? Video conference calls are a risky business, but thanks to the help of Rolling Stone and…
GET STRONGER with Mackenzie Carson
Abbotsford BC’s own Mackenzie Carson, 21, is a Canadian international 15s player who moved to the UK in 2018 to pursue playing rugby with first Bristol and then Saracens, after…
Warren Abrahams – Challenge Accepted for this Talented Coach
Captain Abby Gustaitis is succinct when describing the first month with Warren Abrahams as an assistant coach with USA’s Women’s Sevens program. “Absolute madness. Pure frustration.” When Abrahams reads that,…
W(orking Out)FH
We’re not entirely sure, but we think it’s about day 3472829 since the gyms have closed, and only few are starting to re-open with plenty of restrictions in place. It…
Rhys Patterson’s ‘It Factor’ – A Blueprint for the Future
Rhys Patterson has ‘It Factor.’ The product of Stouffville Ontario, recently-turned 18-year-old Patterson is the future of rugby in Canada. The fast-paced Patterson has grown up playing rugby, primarily as…
Black Lives Matter. Period.
By Mark Janzen, Charity Williams, Matai Leuta, Dion Crowder, Naya Tapper, Phil Berna, Ngalula Fuamba, Pam Buisa, Jordan Matyas, Emmanuela Jada, Josiah Morra, Deborah Fleming, Marcello Wainwright, with Karen Gasbarino.…
GET STRONGER with Frederique Rajotte
25 year old winger Frédérique Rajotte from Montreal, Quebec, started playing rugby when she was 16 years old, playing first in high school and then for the Concordia University Stingers.…
Deborah Fleming – An England Sevens Star Climbing Sand Dunes to Success
Deborah Fleming is home. It’s kind of weird. She takes a phone call in the house where she grew up in the smallish English town of Penzance, which is situated…
Staying Connected while Staying Apart
Self-isolation can quite literally feel…isolating. Thank goodness we live in an era with calling, texting, facetime, and a thousand other video conferencing tools at our fingertips. But, there’s only so…
GET STRONGER with Bianca Farella
27 year old Bianca Farella is a veteran player from both the Canadian Women’s Sevens and 15s teams, having played at the highest level since 2012. The speed with which…
Madison Grant and her Rediscovered Love for Rugby
There is a pause on the other side of the phone. It’s short, but just long enough to know something emphatic is about to arrive from the other side. In…
Converting Your Home into an Office Space
Our home is not always meant to function as an office, so a little reconfiguration may be in order to achieve your optimal WFH setup. Whether you’ve been working from…
GET STRONGER with Ben LeSage
Ben LeSage hails from Calgary, Alberta. The 24 year old has played for Canada since 2016, appearing in one match of World Cup 2019. Signed for the 2020 season with…
Dream. Believe. Succeed – Robin MacDowell’s Words to Live By
Owen’s smile fills the screen and says it all: he’s worked hard, and he knows it. He’s pleased with Coach Robin’s praise. Fifteen minutes later the call erupts with laughter.…
Adapting to the Norm You’re Facing
We here at Ædelhard are big proponents of staying healthy, physically and mentally. As we work toward flattening the curve on an international scale, we wanted to provide some suggestions…
GET STRONGER with Sophie De Goede
You might think the pressure of being the daughter of a former – and highly respected – Rugby Canada Men’s 15s captain, Hans de Goede would be a daunting task…
Caroline Crossley with the Vancouver Island Steps Up Donation Program
Caroline Crossley is on the phone, calling from her home in Victoria. Amidst self-isolation, this is the best we can do for an interview. She’s stolen a few moments away…
The #EverydayHeroes Gift is Here for a Limited Time
We are part of a community going through a global crisis and we are not blind to all the extraordinary individuals who have stepped up and answered their call of…
To Fly or to Fail: USA Sevens’ Matai Leuta Chooses to Fly
In these most uncertain times of isolation and social distancing, Matai Leuta has been cutting up old pieces of clothing, arranging them into potential patterns and letting his inner fashionista…
GET STRONGER with Marcello Wainwright
Marcello, 23, returns for his second season with the Toronto Arrows. Marcello is proud to play for his own home team. He began playing rugby in high-school and has never…
GET STRONGER with Michael Deasy
Deasy, originally from Cork, Ireland, has travelled the world sharing his skills and experience as a Strength and Conditioning Coach. With Rugby Canada’s Mens 15s team since 2016, Deasy knows…
Cheta Emba – Staying the Course On and Off the Field
Cheta Emba leaps and snatches the ball out of the air. It’s obvious she’s boarded a basketball and thwarted a few crosses into the box in her day. Her USA…
GET STRONGER with Olivia Apps
Olivia Apps, 21, of Lindsay, Ontario, worked hard to get to the women’s Sevens team, debuting on the World Series stage at the opening of the 2018 series in Sydney…
GET STRONGER with Djustice Sears-Duru
Canadian prop, Sears-Duru, has re-signed for his second season playing for the Seattle Seawolves in the MLR. Always hard-working in the front row, Djustice has made a difference in Canada’s…
Charity Williams – The Heart of an Olympian
It was the middle of the night and Charity Williams sat by herself on a bench alongside Queen’s Park in Toronto. For the first time in her life, she had…
The Best Menswear Trends for 2020
Spring has sprung! Changing up your daily wardrobe can often feel therapeutic, especially if it involves easing up on the dark palettes and breathing a bit of life into your…
GET STRONGER with Pam Buisa
Pam Buisa, from Gatineau, is 23. Buisa began her athletic career as a dancer and basketball player, which lends itself easily to the flexibility needed to dodge would-be tacklers and…
Canada’s Chloe Hill-Huse: Ready to Conquer the Rugby World
Meet Chloe-Hill Huse. I know we say this a lot in The Scrum, but remember the name. Hill-Huse is headed for big things in rugby.. We’ve profiled many players in…
GET STRONGER with Harry Jones
Vancouver’s own Canada Sevens Captain Harry Jones has played for Canada’s 15s and Sevens since 2012, and appeared with Canada at the 2015 World Cup as fullback. Since 2015 he…
The Pursuit to GET STRONGER: An Introduction
We are all working toward something. Working toward a goal. Working toward a dream. Working toward greatness. We look to icons and aspirational figures as the prime examples of what…
Canada’s Success at the Incredibly Popular Vancouver 7s
Mark Janzen was on hand last weekend for the insanely popular Vancouver 7s at BC Place. He got all the greatest action shots, including of the Canada 7s team’s great…
The Sock Criterion
How are you supposed to put your best foot forward if your foot isn’t feeling its best? The socks you wear can completely change the comfort and appearance of your…
David Richard – Canada’s Newest Sevens Phenom Taking it One Step at a Time.
If you’re sitting close enough, you can feel the blast of fire that shoots into the confined air of Vancouver’s BC Place. To a wide-eyed 16-year-old sitting in the stands…
Take Care of Yourself Series Check-in
Taking care of yourself is a continuous process that requires a lot of effort and dedication. We released our 3 part Take Care of Yourself series earlier this winter as…
Emmanuela Jada – Ever Resilient, Her World Cup Dream Lives On
In late November of 2019, Emmanuela Jada was in a seemingly familiar place, and it wasn’t easy. The oft-injured rugby-playing star with the University of Guelph Gryphons was told she…
Experiencing the exhilarating, bustling, and fascinating hotspot that is London.
London, the capital city of England and the largest city in the UK, is one of the world’s most important hubs for finance, fashion, music, and arts. Get lost in…
The Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
This is a PSA for all you last minute shoppers: Valentine’s Day is only 4 days away. You’re welcome. Before you go on Amazon and try to find something last…
USA Eagle Kristine Sommer – Up for Any Challenge
Kristine Sommer is ready for the next challenge. Two months ago, she sat down in Chula Vista, California for a phone conversation to discuss her career, her love for rugby,…
Men, It’s Time You Start Moisturizing.
Whoever said moisturizing was just for girls will probably be eating those words later when their skin starts to naturally lose its youthfulness. Winter can put all skin types through…
Seattle Seawolves v Tasman Mako – A Clash of Champions in Pictures
New Zealand’s Tasman Mako, Mitre 10 winning team for 2019, made the trip north to Seattle to play a fast-paced exhibition match against MLR champions Seattle Seawolves. This ended a tour of…
Business Casual in the Office
The traditional dress code at the office has been changing in many environments for a while now, but there are still a set of rules that should be abided by…
Canada and TWU’s Tausani Levale: Only Sunshine Ahead
Sandro Fiorino has just finished breakfast. He relaxes in his chair. He’s among the last of Canada’s contingent still in the dining hall. Amidst a whirlwind week at the Chula…
Kasey McCravey: A Different Path to the Olympic Dream
Kasey McCravey’s life is different from yours. It’s a sunny mid-morning in Chula Vista, California. It had rained heaps the day before. The field remains drenched. Drainage isn’t a thing…
Adding Winter Layers without a Bulky Silhouette
The holidays have come and gone and now that you’re two weeks into the new year, your motivation to stick to your gym membership may be declining. It sure doesn’t…
Be Strong and Courageous – USA’s Kate Zackary
Kate Zackary’s speech quickens when she talks about coaching rugby. She gets excited when she starts talking about the girls’ team she coaches at La Costa Canyon High School. “So,…
The Take Care of Yourself Series Part 3: Nurturing the Mind
Sometimes it’s hard to find the “happy” in “Happy New Year.” December may be draining due to the pressures of being “the most wonderful time of the year,” and January…
Can’t Slow Down: Stephen Tomasin’s Olympic Dream
Dude is one of those super annoying opponents, who never stops and who never quits; who never goes down without a fight and who always seems to have a little…
Holiday Cocktail Pick of 2019: The Manhattan
Your guests will be arriving shortly. The table has been set, the food is nearly done cooking, and the decor in your home is looking perfectly festive. As you’re putting…
A Shortlist of the Limitless and Enticing Attractions Tokyo has to Offer
Tokyo – a city with a wonderful eclectic mix of traditional and modern. Imagine some of the world’s most advanced technology and architecture, mixed in with ancient temples and serene…
England’s Abbie Brown – Accidental Trailblazer
Sometimes it’s the little things: The seemingly innocuous moments, when walking out of a service station washroom on a nondescript Friday evening, that one remembers the most. On her way…
Adding Colour to your Wardrobe this Season
Gentlemen, we know you love your blacks and greys, but there is no reason the colour palette of your everyday outfit should be admired by the Addams Family. The occasional…
The Take Care of Yourself Series Part 2: Being Mindful of What You’re Putting in Your Body
Cookies, and chocolate, and wine, and holiday dinners, and boozy festive cocktails… how can you resist?! December is the month where your willpower is tested at full force. Sure you…
Player Spotlight: Joe Schroeder
At 6’5” and 230lbs, Joe Schroeder takes a seat in a cramped room of a trailer adjacent to USA Rugby’s training field at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.…
How to Find your Perfect Watch
Although we don’t have any factual evidence to support this, we believe that the main functionality of a watch is to add a style component to an outfit, not to…
Naya On Fiya – USA 7s Player Naya Tapper
Naya Tapper arrives on a scooter. It’s the most practical way to get around the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, California, where the USA Rugby Sevens teams train.…
How to Protect your Shoes from the Effects of Winter
Baby, it’s cold outside. Although technically 3 weeks away, it’s likely you may be under the impression that winter has been here for a while already. A colder temperature brings…
Coffee and Rugby Talk V2.0
By Mark Janzen There’s a place on Adams Avenue in San Diego where rugby meets coffee. It’s magical. It’s been mentioned in this space before. Hawthorn Coffee. It’s the one…
The Take Care of Yourself Series Part 1: Maintaining the Motivation to Exercise during the most Demotivating Time of Year
Ah, November. For most of us, this marks the beginning of what can often feel like a never-ending winter. As our tans start to fade and that annual SAD kicks…
Women’s Can-Am Series in Chula Vista in Pictures
The Rugby Canada Women’s 15s travelled to Chula Vista California to meet closest rivals USA Rugby for the classic Can-Am Series. Game one went to Canada 19-0.
THE EXPERT GIFT GUIDE THAT WILL MAKE GIFT GIVING EASIER THAN EVER
How early is too early to get into the holiday spirit? It’s the age old argument with no clear answer. Between all the upcoming holiday social events, family get-togethers, festive…
Captain Canada, Tyler Ardron, dives into the recent Rugby World Cup and his upcoming tour with the Barbarians
Tyler Ardron is Captain Canada. He’s Canada’s only Super Rugby-playing star suiting up with the Chiefs. At the Rugby World Cup, he captained Canada into battle against both Siya Kolisi’s…
RugbyX and the Future of Women’s Rugby with Holly Aitchison
In my left arm, I held my nearly six-month old daughter while I interviewed English rugby sevens star Holly Aitchison. While the rest of the household was sleeping on an…
We Have Your Go-To Beer and Coffee Guide for Your 2020 MLR Roadtrip!
Planning a roadtrip in the 2020 season to see your favourite MLR team play? You’ll need coffee and beer – so Mark Janzen has your definitive guide to the best beer and java spots in all the MLR Cities!
Traveling to Paris? Here, We Offer the Must-Visit List of 2019. Thank Us Later
Heading to Paris anytime soon? Our travel writer Erin has all the go-to places to eat, drink and enjoy the unmatched culture that the most romantic city on earth has on offer.
The Sevens Series Opens with a Bang for the USA in Glendale.
The 2019-20 Sevens World Series got off to a bang this past weekend in Glendale Colorado. The USA Women were strong and came out victorious. Photo Essay by Mark Janzen.
Jordan Matyas – Exploring the ‘Why’.
By Mark Janzen Alexa Gray shed a tear. On this day, it was in support of the Stars and Stripes. More specifically, the Canadian international volleyball star was cheering on…
For Malon Al Jiboori it was NFL or Rugby: Lucky Us, Rugby Won
Will Magie likes to call Malon Al-Jiboori “Gain Line.” It makes sense. With ball in hand, the 6-foot-3, 229-pound flanker is a beast. For the product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, he’s…
Eagle Will Magie – Heck of a Card Player, but About those Royalties….
Debuting with the Eagles against Uruguay (Feb. 4, 2017) in the Americas Rugby Championship, Magie has now earned 25 caps, including 14 in a starting role. For sure, he has many highlights, but being part of USA’s historic win over Scotland in 2018 remains among his very best….