Canada’s Florence Symonds can scarcely believe the hype engulfing Vancouver ahead of this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Series stopover at BC Place. 

The freshly fit star has experienced a lot in her short career, but giant posters with her face on them plastered across her hometown is a new one. 

“I definitely never saw that coming, I think if I were to tell little me ‘Hey, your face is on a billboard in the city of Vancouver,’ I would have just been in absolute shock,” Symonds said. 

The last time the 23-year-old stepped on to a rugby pitch it was for the final of Rugby World Cup 2025. Carrying what would later be diagnosed as a torn MCL, Symonds played all 80 minutes of the 33-13 defeat to England.

Although painful, in multiple ways, the back is well aware of the impact that tournament made. 

“We felt so much love from back home and when we returned back home too,” said Symonds, who had scored in the epic semi-final win over New Zealand. 

“I feel like now you are starting to see that change, people are starting to recognise women’s rugby, women’s sports in general. 

“I think there’s so much momentum behind it. Even from the grassroots level, it’s growing. We have rookie rugby events, and we have a lot of volunteer coaches who are wanting to get into the game and introduce their kids to the sport.” 

Add on the Olympic silver medal Symonds and her teammates won at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and it is no surprise tickets for both days at BC Place are scarce. 

“I think it’s supposed to be a pretty jam-packed stadium,” Symonds said. “I’m hearing all the hype around the city for it. We have banners across the bridge and really cool signs. 

“We were at the women’s hockey game, the local team Goldeneyes who are based here in Vancouver and a lot of those sports fans were also excited to come watch us on the weekend. 

“We have those supporters for women’s sports. They’re supporting women’s hockey, they’re supporting women’s rugby, they’re supporting soccer, they’re supporting all the sports that are happening in Vancouver.

“It’s gone past a tipping point, which is really awesome.” 

Second place in last year’s Rugby World Cup, alongside that Paris 2024 Olympic silver, was clearly huge. So, too, the bronze medal Symonds and her teammates won in the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Los Angeles last May.

Canada have found the going tougher this season. Sixth-place finishes in Dubai and Cape Town, plus a fifth in the recent Perth leg before the highlight – third in Singapore, a tournament in which the red shirts defeated France, Great Britain and USA. 

Now, with Symonds one of three RWC 2025 stars returning to the roster, and lining up alongside five other Olympic silver medallists, the home team are keen to take the next step up. 

And while New Zealand and Australia, finalists in all four events so far this season, have what Symonds sees as a built-in advantage, the Vancouver resident believes the top two can be challenged. 

“I definitely pay respect to these teams a whole lot. I know they’re highly skilled. They’re intelligent rugby players. Obviously, rugby runs in their blood, they grow up with it as part of their culture. But for us, even without that, we believe that we can do anything that they can do,” Symonds said. 

“Having that confidence is really important as a team and knowing that we have the ability to do the same things and compete at the same high level and be able to have wins over them is important.” 

While the Canadian set-up is decentralised, resulting in plenty of players missing from the squad this weekend due to commitments in England’s Premiership or elsewhere overseas, it does mean Canada is building significant depth.

It’s something Symonds believes they can draw on, in front of a fervent home crowd. 

“Hopefully we can be up there and we can come out with a lot of wins,” she said. “I think we also all just want to really soak in the fact it’s a home tournament and we want to be able to celebrate together as a team.” 

The first chance for celebrations will come on Saturday, with the Canadians in a blockbuster Pool B opener against neighbours USA, kick off at 13:09 local time.