Mom cheers as daughter hits the pitch for Rugby World Cup

When Alison Reeves tuned her TV to the England-Samoa game in the Women’s Rugby World Cup on August 30, she was more invested than the average Canadian.

And when #17 for England entered the pitch shortly after the second half started, Alison’s excitement soared.

It was her daughter, Mackenzie Carson, 27, representing the country where Alison was born. Mackenzie was making her debut on the biggest stage of her sport: the Rugby Women’s World Cup.

When Mackenzie scored a try less than five minutes later, Alison’s shrieks of joy likely woke up half of her Garrison Crossing neighbourhood. England went on to defeat Samoa by an impressive whopping 92-3 score, but it was that one try that really made Alison’s day.

For Alison, who works as the academic communications coordinator for UFV’s Faculty of Science, Mackenzie’s World Cup debut was the culmination of nearly two decades of hard work, family support, and sacrifice.

Mackenzie is part of the first generation of women to carve out a living from rugby, playing professionally in England for Gloucester-Hartpury in Premiership Women’s Rugby, as well as representing England on the national team.

Her, and Alison’s, rugby journey started in Abbotsford, one of B.C.’s rugby hotbeds. Mackenzie’s parents had tried placing her in several team sports, but found that she was so competitive that it alienated other young players. Instead, they focused on individual sports like swimming. But when Mackenzie was nine, she watched her older brother Keegan play rugby and wanted to give it a try.

Her parents placed her on a team in the mini rugby program, and she made her mark immediately.

“She burned through everyone — boys and girls — and I said, ‘I’m pretty sure rugby’s for her,’” Alison recalls. “Right from a young age she was driven. She wanted to win. And she wanted to know everything about everything to do with the sport. She was hyper-focused.”

Mackenzie’s recent ADHD diagnosis helps her mother better understand that early obsession with rugby. Mackenzie speaks publicly often about being an neurodivergent athlete.

“Her mind was very focused on rugby at an early age,” Alison recalls. “By the time she was 12 she was playing at the U-18 level with and against girls five years older. Even then, she endured jeers from opposing parents who thought she was too strong, too rough.”

It was often a challenge for Alison to keep her own composure.

“Even while I’m watching her play for England now, I don’t wear her name on my jersey. I don’t want the crowd to know she’s my kid. I just want to enjoy watching her.”

Mackenzie received a scholarship to play for the University of British Columbia and was in the pipeline to play for the Canadian national team. After a couple of years, she decided to give playing professionally in England a try.  This decision eventually led to her switching national allegiances and joining the English national team in 2023.

For Alison, this meant watching her daughter cross the ocean back to where Alison had emigrated from as a toddler. Alison went along to make sure Mackenzie settled in.

“Even though I have cousins who helped her, it was hard for me to drop her off at age 20 in a little village staying with a family I did not know. And I was unhappy to see her leave university before finishing as I still haven’t finished my own degree, but I decided that it was her life, not mine. She had worked so hard for her dreams that I had to let her go.”

Watching her daughter achieve her dream of representing her adopted country at the Rugby World Cup has been a joy for Alison, who has been there for all the peaks and valleys along the way.

“To see her standing in line singing the English national anthem before making her debut was pure joy for me. I was jumping up and down like an idiot. She fought like hell to get where she was, and she finally made it, overcoming obstacles, criticism, and injuries. I literally saw her whole life flash before my eyes during that anthem.”

For Alison, supporting her daughter’s determination has taken a lot of financial sacrifice and emotional energy, and involved a lot of community support. She is grateful for it all.

A fierce advocate for better funding and respect for women athletes, Alison is excited about being there in person for such a high-profile event.

On September 15, she flew to England to watch the semi-finals and finals of the Rugby World Cup. The ticket was booked before she knew whether Mackenzie’s team would make the final, or whether Mackenzie would get any more playing minutes. She’s also there to support Mackenzie’s partner and teammate Sarah Bern.

“I’m going to be there for them no matter what. I’ll be there to celebrate successes, or to support my kid if there’s disappointment. I’ve supported her through injuries, rehab, setbacks, and sacrifices. She hasn’t even met her baby nephew back home yet. She’s given up a lot for her dream. So of course I will be there for her now. I’m so impressed by my daughter. She has accomplished what she set out to do. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”