Chioma Duru finds her stride with Varsity Blues rugby

A year removed from high-school competition, Chioma Duru was convinced her rugby playing days were over. But one first-game tackle with the University of Toronto changed everything.

“Just being able to make that first tackle really set my whole mood for the rest of the season,” she said. 

“It made me feel like I'm capable of being here. I deserve to be here.”

That moment capped a full-circle journey for the second-year life-sciences student, whose path to the Varsity Blues began more than a decade ago and halfway across the world.

Duru was born in Ireland, where she says rugby opportunities for girls were scarce. 

“Rugby for girls was only a club thing,” she said.

“It was never offered in school, so coming to Canada, I felt like I have to do this now.”

Her family moved to British Columbia when she was 11. That relocation exposed her to a new sporting world. Encouraged by two rugby-playing brothers and a persuasive teacher who doubled as her coach’s wife, Duru first picked up a rugby ball in Grade 6.

“At first I hated anything physical,” she said. 

“Even basketball felt like too much. But my brothers kept saying, ‘You should play rugby,’ and when I finally did, it was really, really fun.”

Through middle school and high school, the sport slowly took hold. By Grade 10 she began to take it seriously, joining provincial sevens and fifteens programs as the women’s game blossomed in B.C.

Despite that progress, Duru thought she was finished when she graduated. 

“I told everyone, you’re never seeing me again,” she said. 

“High school was my last hurrah.”

But the itch returned during her first year at U of T. She missed the camaraderie, the competition and the rush of contact. 

“I’d see my friends posting rugby stuff back home and think about the memories,” she said. 

“So in second year I decided to walk on. I’m glad I did.”

The return came with nerves. After years away, Duru says she wasn’t sure she could keep up at the university level. 

“It was really scary,” she said. 

“I was entering the big leagues. But after the first game, I got that confidence back. I realized I could play against anyone.”

That confidence was built on the foundation of a close-knit Blues roster. Though smaller than many opponents, the group’s chemistry helped Duru settle in.

“We all know each other,” she said. 

“I can text someone, ‘I’m on campus, want to study?’ or ‘Can I come over?’ We just had our Thanksgiving dinner with all the athletic therapists. It’s like a family.”

The transition from sevens to fifteens also reshaped her perspective. 

“In sevens you can do a lot on your own,” she said. 

“In fifteens, you have to rely on your teammates. You don’t have to make the biggest hit or run, doing the little things for your team is what leads to success.”

Balancing a demanding life-sciences workload with daily practices and weekend matches has been her toughest challenge.

“After practice I’d come home, lay on the floor because I was too sweaty for my bed, and just nap,” she said, laughing. 

“Then I’d have to force myself up, ‘You have a test coming up!,’ and go study.”

Motivation often comes from family reminders. She lives with her sister, who also attended U of T, while her brothers remain sounding boards after every game. 

“They’ll watch my matches and give me feedback right away,” she said. 

“It’s something we’ve always connected over.”

Her parents, too, keep her grounded. 

“They’ll call and ask, ‘How’s school going? You need to focus on school too,’ and that gets me moving,” she said.

Duru believes that community is what keeps her thriving, from her rugby family to classmates to neighbours. She credits that instinct to her early years in Ireland.

“Where I lived, it was such a small community,” she said. 

“Everyone knew everyone. In Toronto, it’s huge, so I try to build my own little communities, people I can rely on. It just makes your time so much more enjoyable.”

Duru’s goals for the next few years are simple: keep playing, keep learning, keep growing. She hopes to pursue graduate studies, perhaps in nursing or medicine, and continue wearing the Blue and White as long as she can.

“Playing rugby again took a lot of stress out of my life,” she said. 

“It reminded me how freeing it feels. I regret not playing last year, so I’m definitely sticking with it.”