Kish fit and firing in 2016

Canada will have been disappointed with their results in Dubai, where losses to Fiji, England and New Zealand saw them finish sixth, ending up losing?˜the Plate Final of the event.

Kish, who as well as being one of the talented players in the world, is also unafraid to voice her opinion, says there were plusses and minuses from the tournament.

??I was happy to see how the sevens game is evolving and the competitiveness of the competition across the board at both the international and invitational level. Dubai was much busier this year, there were more fans, teams and interest which was nice to see. It's a very well organised event and it's always been a tournament that I look forward to even though our results over the years in Dubai?˜haven't been the greatest. I'm not happy with our results. We should have placed better but we are fully aware of where our weaknesses lay.??

Early season form had a part to play she adds.??I believe there was some rustiness with teams making silly mistakes, especially us, but teams are also getting better and capitalising on those mistakes. The room for error in the sevens game these days is very minimal. When you??re playing against a team like Fiji, whose sources of tries come from other team??s errors, they will make you pay and ultimately walk away with the win.??

Kish and her Canadian teammates are fulltime athletes, training six days a week where typical sessions involve multiple conditioned games, speed, weights and skills sessions. But as much as the strength, skills and conditioning side of the game are important, she adds that going into the Olympics, having the right balance in the team is vital.??Finding the right combinations is massive. We play different teams with different strengths and weaknesses. We can't just rely on one combination to get us through a tournament, let alone a whole season. At the end of the day, adding more tools to your team's "tool box" will only add more value and prepare you for whatever situation that may arise.??

Injured last year when Canada hosted a leg of the World Series, Kish is keeping her fingers crossed that she??ll feature in the fourth round in Langford this year?? recognising that the Canadian leg last year was one of the most successful tournaments in terms of interest and exposure.??Amsterdam has always been a favourite leg of mine but Canada is right up there. I didn??t have the opportunity to play in our Canada stop but being a spectator was an amazing experience. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was booming with excitement. If there is one stop I'm looking forward to this year it??s that one.??

She??s also pleased with the interest and exposure the women??s game is getting back in Canada.

??There could always be more awareness but I'm happy with the way Rugby Canada and the Canadian media outlets have been promoting the success of our programme so far. Since rugby sevens is an Olympic sport, there has been a rise playing numbers. The depth in Canada is getting better and I get very excited about that.??

??We finished second in the series and were the first Canadian team to qualify for Rio back in May. We then went on to win the Pan American Games on home soil and our nation took notice of all that. We were grateful to get the exposure and recognition from our nation for all of our continued hard work.??

In recent months the World Series has been under the spotlight, with initially two legs of the series being dropped before France came to the rescue with a late deal to take on a fifth leg.

Kish was not afraid to voice her disappointment and hopes more nations get involved.??Playing on home soil was great exposure for us and the sport. I hope we continue to be a stop on the series for many more years to come but yes I would like to see more stops on our series. Five is just not enough and I hope that more nations step up the way France did.??

As for the players she admires most on the World Series she is quick to rattle off names.?˜??Sarah Goss from New Zealand and Sharni Williams from Australia would be two I pick out. ?˜Their leadership on field is solid and I like the way they both play the game. They have the ability to make things happen for their teams and are so well rounded. The thing I like about them most is how they win ball back for their teams. Goss is a savage on restarts and in line outs and Williams will make you pay in tackles and in the breakdown if your support is too slow. She also displays incredible vision on attack. They excel in so many areas of the game which is why I rank them as the best.??

As for what??s next for Kish and a possible return to the 15s game in the future, she finds the question tough to answer.??This seems like a simple question but at the same time my answer is dependent on so many factors. Will my body hold up? Can I keep up with the next generation of players that will be leading the way? Do I want to pursue another 15s World Cup? So I'd like to say yes to everything because but who knows where I'll be or what I'll be doing after Rio.??

And her advice for upcoming players is pretty solid too.??Talent will get you noticed but hard work will keep you noticed.??