Atlantic Privateers capitalizing on growing popularity of women’s rugby

When Olivia DeMerchant left her home of Woodstock, N.B., in Grade 11 to play hockey at Stanstead College in Quebec, the highest level of women’s rugby was representing the province you lived in.

Now, at 35, DeMerchant, who played four seasons for the St. Francis Xavier X-Women rugby team, will captain an Atlantic Canadian high-performance team in its first home game on May 28.

The Atlantic Privateers are an elite-level women’s rugby club that has been playing against the best teams in Canada since last year. The club is meant for Maritime players chasing their dream of playing rugby for Canada.

Just like DeMerchant has done.

“It’s a great opportunity to have it here in the region,” DeMerchant says. “I love playing good rugby, so to have the best women from the region to play with is something I enjoy thoroughly.”

Rebirth of high-performance rugby in Atlantic Canada

Club president John Gillis founded the Privateers in 2021 as a male-only team. But he wanted to add a female side so men and women could follow in DeMerchant’s footsteps.

The men’s club has won against the Pacific Pride, Canada’s national development team and other Canadian regional teams like Rugby Quebec. They even got a crack at the defending Major League Rugby champions, the New England Free Jacks in March.

Atlantic players have used the program to propel themselves onto the national team. Halifax’s Cooper Coats, the Valley’s Sam Miller and Pictou’s Tyler Matchem have worn the Canadian jersey in action, while Evan Logan and Nate Cameron are working for their spot on the Pride. All of these players have suited up for the Privateers at some point.

“Guys at that level have supported the program and have been a role model for younger players,” Gillis says.

All the while, DeMerchant was adding up appearances for Canada. She has now played in four Rugby World Cups and was a member of the team that earned silver in 2025.

With the medal at the World Cup and the Canadian sevens team earning another second-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, DeMerchant has watched the sport grow nationwide.

“I can see young women and young boys being excited about rugby coming up in grassroots,” DeMerchant says. “There’s been a fire ignited.”

Gillis also saw how the success created interest around rugby, but work was already being done in Nova Scotia.

Through the help of former Canadian women’s sevens coach Jack Hanratty, Gillis says Nova Scotia grassroots rugby has come a long way. The president saw it with his two daughters, who have taken up the sport and have demanded the women’s team be just as prominent as the men. 

He says his own club, the Halifax Tars, has over 200 youth running around playing the game.

“Our clubs are growing,” Gillis says. “We have a lot of young boys and girls playing rugby, so many more than we would have had 10 years ago.”

For Gillis, the national success added to the sport’s momentum.

“To come very close to beating England, who are a powerhouse and very well funded, all paid professional players,” Gillis says. “That has really inspired a lot of young women. It’s really inspired everybody.”

After seeing all the interest in the area, Gillis expanded the Privateers to have a women’s team in December 2024. The Atlantic squad took the field for the first time in 2025.

The Privateers increased their schedule from one to three games this year. For the first time, they will be playing in the Maritimes on May 28 at Graves-Oakley Memorial Park.

“It’s going to be huge,” DeMerchant says. ”Atlantic Canada is very well known for having a really good crowd.”

MORE TOP STORIES