Loughborough Lightning have completed the signing of soon-to-be Olympian Krissy Scurfield for the 2024/25 season.
The speedy 21-year-old has been selected in Canada’s Olympic Rugby Sevens squad which will be competing for medals at Stade de France in the host city of Paris on 28/29/30 July.
Canada finished fifth in the HSBC SVNS 2023/24 Series rankings having signed off with a season-best finish of third place in Vancouver, with Scurfield scoring her side’s only try in the 15-7 semi-final loss to eventual winners, New Zealand.
It was a fruitful competition for Scurfield as she scored an incredible length-of-the-field try after just two minutes in the pool stage victory over Great Britain.
During the 23/24 Series, the Canmore, Alberta born star scored 20 tries in 37 appearances, taking her to 35 tries in 84 career SVNS appearances.
When Krissy Scurfield went the full distance in Vancouver! 💨#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSVAN pic.twitter.com/l3XZtCKSEK
— Rugby Sevens (@SVNSSeries) April 24, 2024
Her tryscoring exploits in the 2022 season saw Scurfield named in the World Rugby Series Dream Team, a year in which she also represented Team Canada as they finished fourth in Commonwealth Rugby Sevens held at the Coventry Stadium (Coventry Building Society Arena).
Scurfield said: “While my focus at the moment is purely on the Olympics and representing my country to the best of my ability in Paris, I am also extremely excited about what is to follow and making the next step of my 15s career with Loughborough Lightning next season.
“It is going to be incredible opportunity for me to team up with such a talented group of players and coaches who I know are going to help me take my 15s game onto the next level.”
Krissy Scurfield
Scurfield is the fifth new signing to be announced by Lightning heading into the 2024/25 season. Fellow Sevens star, America’s Alev Kelter, will bolster the backline along with scrum-half Alicia Maude. Further reinforcements came in the front row with the recruitment of Elis Martin and Anne Young.
“Krissy fits the recruitment strategy, she has certainly got high potential,” said Lightning head coach, Nathan Smith. “She has been a big name on the Sevens circuit and been on the World team of the year before. She doesn’t have a lot of 15s experience but she does have the raw attributes to be very successful in the 15s game. She has got pace, power and offers something different to what we have at the moment.
“We believe that the attributes she's shown within the Sevens game and all being well, playing 15s for Canada over the summer, that can translate into the PWR. I feel that playing outside players the likes of Helena Rowland, Helen Nelson, Alev Kelter and Emily Scarratt, you are going to get put into the right positions on the field to provide opportunities to finish.”
Loughborough Lightning season tickets for the 2024/25 Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby season are available now priced from just £40* adults and £20* children. For more information, please click HERE.
