Gillian Florence

Gillian Florence (born 30 April 1975) is a former Canadian rugby union player who has participated in five Rugby World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010). Starting out as a prop on the national team, she became one of Canada's top flankers.

Rugby career Florence first started playing rugby in high school (1987–1992) in Grade ten and John Abbott College (1992–1994). She made her international debut at the 1994 Women's Rugby World Cup in Scotland, at the age of 18, and retired in 2011. She represented Quebec for eighteen years and played for Ste. Anne de Bellevue for twenty-two years.

Having played one season with McGill University in 1995–1996, her national schedule conflicted with the university team's schedule.

She was a member of the World XV that played against the New Zealand Black Ferns in 2003. After retiring, she coached her club, Ste Anne de Bellevue, in 2012 and 2013.

She returned to the rugby pitch in 2017 and suited up for the Nova Scotia Keltics.

Honours 1995 CIS All-Conference honours 1998 named one of McGill's top 20 athletes of all time (McGill Tribune) 1994 World Cup game MVP at her test debut 2003 All World team

An annual Rugby Canada award is named in her honour and is given to a "player who best represents the qualities of Canadian rugby as voted by her teammates." Barbara Mervin (2015), Julianne Zussman (2016), Kelly Russell (2017), Laura Russell (2018) and Olivia DeMerchant (2019).

Personal life In 1998, she graduated from McGill University with a bachelor's degree in Education. In Montreal she worked for Caterpillar, for Ultra Electronics in Nova Scotia, and now Kinduct in Halifax. She moved to rural Nova Scotia when she was eight months pregnant. She lives with her partner, firefighter Aaron Graham, is mother of two children.