Hall of Fame
There have been a lot of firsts for Cheryl Phillips in her rugby career.
She was the first OUA Russell Division most valuable player in York history. She was also the first two-time team MVP in the history of the program and was on the first ever Canadian Rugby 7’s team to compete in the world cup. With her latest accolade, she now becomes the first ever women’s rugby player to be inducted into the York Sport Hall of Fame.
Phillips got a late start in the sport but made up for lost time quickly as she proved to be a natural leader and fierce competitor once she stepped on the field.
“I didn’t start playing rugby until grade 12,” says Phillips on how she was introduced to the sport. “I knew we had a high school team so at the beginning of the school year I just decided to join. We made it to the OFSAA championships that year and I really fell in love with the sport. A few of my friends were trying out the U19 provincial team so I went with them and ended up making it after only a few months of playing experience. It’s really crazy looking back on how fast it all got started.”
Following her experience on the provincial team, Phillips made the U19 national team and played club rugby for a few years while attending Centennial College. She came to York after two years at Centennial and quickly became one of the star players in the OUA and part of the fabric of a tight-knit team.
“I wanted to stay local and York had a new criminology program that I wanted to take,” says Phillips when asked why she chose to come to York. “I also really loved the coaches and the players on the team. The atmosphere was amazing and we were all really close friends. One of my favourite memories was the time we went on a tour of B.C. and played club teams in Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler. I liked it so much out west that I ended up living there!”
Phillips was a dominant force on the field for the Lions, as she was twice named an OUA first-team all-star and was also named a first-team all-Canadian in 2005. She was also the OUA’s leading scorer that year, accounting for 65 of the team’s 69 total points.
Following her time on the field with the Lions, Phillips went on to a lengthy career playing on the Canadian national team. She was a member of both the Canadian rugby 7’s and 15’s team and competed on the world tour and in world cup events. She points to playing in the first ever rugby 7’s world cup in 2009 and defeating England in her last ever game with the 15’s team as some of her post-York career highlights.
After playing rugby all over the country and the world, Phillips has settled in Shawnigan Lake, B.C. where she lives with her husband Jeff, two young children Brady (4) and Olive (1), and their Portuguese water dog Oakley. She’s worked in finance for the last five years and just started a new job as a mortgage specialist. While she’s retired from the national team, Phillips still stays active by paddle boarding, playing volleyball, touch rugby and chasing around the kids.
