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RHIAN WILKINSON MAKES HISTORY WITH CANADA August 12, 2008

by Kelly Hayes (University of Tennessee)

On Wednesday, 6th August, 2008, former Tennessee soccer player Rhian Wilkinson took one small step for the Lady Vols and one giant leap for Canadians everywhere. That historic day, at Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium in Tianjin, China, Wilkinson was a starter for Canada’s Olympic debut in the sport. The Baie d’Urfe, Quebec, native played the full 90 minutes in her team’s opening match, a 2-1 victory over Argentina, becoming the first former UT soccer player to appear in the Olympic Games.

“There have been some fantastic players who have gone through the Tennessee soccer program and I have played with many of them,” Wilkinson said. “So, being the first Lady Vol to attend an Olympics is both exciting and humbling.”

The road to its first Olympic berth has been a long one for Team Canada, dating back to the introduction of women’s soccer as an Olympic sport in 1996. For each of the past three Olympic Games, the Canadian women’s team has failed to secure one of the two spots available to teams in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) region. Historically, Canada’s route to the Olympics has gone through one of the two other strongholds in the CONCACAF region, Mexico and the U.S.

“Even though the CONCACAF group is getting stronger all the time, there are still only three big contenders at these tournaments: the United States, ranked first, Canada, ranked second, and Mexico, ranked third,” Wilkinson said. “So, in Canada, our must-win game usually comes down to having to beat Mexico.”

After suffering through the pain of failing to secure a spot in the Olympics in 2004, Rhian and the other members of Team Canada were determined to earn the right to travel to Beijing. The Canadians kicked off the CONCACAF qualifying with wins over Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica. With the group win, Canada earned the right to face Mexico for one of the region’s two Olympic berths.

“We blew it four years ago when we were so close,” Wilkinson said. “We were devastated at missing the chance to go Athens. This time, we were determined to qualify, but there were still a huge amount of nerves going into the match against Mexico.”

The Canadians needed just one goal to hold off the Mexican team and become the first ever Canadian women’s team to qualify for the Olympics and the first Canadian soccer team, men or women, to reach the Games in 24 years. Not since the Canadian men qualified for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., has a soccer team from the country traveled to the Olympic Games.

“Once the final whistle blew and we had won and qualified, we were over the moon,” she said. “However, the reality of what we accomplished took a long time to sink in. I can remember sitting out on the field after the match, totally exhausted and spent, and trying to comprehend that we had qualified for the Olympic Games. I still find it hard to fully register.”

For Team Canada, however, simply qualifying isn’t enough. Through the first two matches of the tournament, the squad is tied for first in Group E, which features third-ranked Sweden and 14th-ranked China. A win or a tie in the final match of the preliminaries would put Canada in the top two of its group, guaranteeing it a spot in the quarterfinals.

So far, the Canadians have fared well, following the victory over Argentina with a 1-1 tie with host China. The squad will face its toughest test yet on Tues., Aug. 12, when it will take on Sweden in the final match of group play. The third-ranked Swedes fell to China 2-1 in their opener before earning a 1-0 win over Argentina on Aug. 10.

As member of Head Coach Angela Kelly’s initial recruiting class, Wilkinson made her mark on Tennessee soccer during her four-year career from 2000-03. A Freshman All-American in 2000 and a three-time All-SEC selection, Rhian still holds five single-season and career records at UT. Yet for Kelly, it was Wilkinson’s attitude more than her scoring abilities, which left an impression.

“I talk about loyalty being such a precious commodity,” Kelly said. “There are very few people I can say are as honest and as loyal as Rhian. People might not like everything she has to say, but you know that it will be what she believes and it will be the truth. To have those characteristics as a teammate is very special. I always admired her as an individual because of those qualities.

“She’s a very special person. While she was with our program, she was constantly asking how she could do more, on and off the field. That just speaks volumes for her.”

Rhian showed off her scoring abilities immediately at UT, posting 33 points as a freshman before suffering a season-altering injury as a sophomore. In 2002, Wilkinson got back on track, setting the Tennessee junior record with 31 points and 15 assists. The midfielder and forward notched 19 more points in her final season en route to setting the career points and assists records of 88 and 32, respectively, which still stand today.

During the spring of 2003, Rhian made her international debut with the full Canadian Women’s National Team in a friendly against the United States. The then-21-year-old impressed Canadian coaches, eventually claiming a spot on Canada’s 2003 Women’s World Cup squad. Wilkinson played in all six matches, earning her first start against Argentina on Sept. 20, 2003. During the tournament, Rhian totaled over 150 minutes of playing time, helping Canada to a fourth-place finish.

Five years later, Rhian has collected a total of 65 caps, including starts in each of the first two Olympic matches. The 65 international appearances have moved Wilkinson to No. 13 all-time in Canadian Women’s National Team history. She has found the back of the net seven times, but has recently demonstrated her versatility, spending time on the Canadian backline.

“Tactically she’s maturing and gaining more experience,” Kelly said. “She’s becoming much wiser and her decision making is becoming increasingly better.

“To see her come from her small town outside of Montreal, through our program at Tennessee, and now playing on the international front makes me so proud.”

The former three-time all-region player has found the jump from collegiate to elite international competition to be both difficult and rewarding. Her transition, however, has been tempered by the preparation she received playing for Kelly in the Orange and White.

“I know that my four years playing under Ange Kelly at Tennessee is the reason I am going to these Olympic Games, because under her guidance I became the player I am today.

“Often when people want to describe my style of play, they will mention my work rate, focus and intensity. These are qualities that Ange hammers home in all of her players. For me, all those years of fitness sessions have paid off. I can only give a huge thank you to Ange and her staff and the UT family for helping make my childhood dream come true.”

Though she may not realize it, making history seems to come naturally for Wilkinson, who needs no reminders as to how significant her appearance at the Olympics is for Lady Vol soccer.

“When I think of all the excellent players who have represented the Big Orange over the years who never made the Olympics, it is definitely a very humbling experience to be the first,” she said.

For Angela Kelly, there isn’t a better player to represent Tennessee soccer in Beijing.

“Rhian Wilkinson has meant so much to this program. The thing that’s so special about her is she’s so unselfish and she’s grateful for everything that she’s given.

“If I had to pick someone to be our first Olympian, Rhian definitely deserves to be that player. She’s given everything to this program.”

Even as she competes for Canada on the other side of the world, Kelly, her team, and the UT alumni and fans can be certain that Wilkinson is thinking of the Orange and White. For even while wearing the red and white of Team Canada, it’s clear that Rhian bleeds orange.

“The Big Orange will definitely be accompanying me in Beijing,” she said. “If not in a viewable form, then definitely in spirit.”