December in New Zealand. It's the start of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Sun galore. Temperatures generally warm. City streets are full of locals and tourists visiting popular sites and restaurants.

There really isn't anything in the travel brochures about rugby in New Zealand, home to the powerful All Blacks Men's 15s squad, three-time World Cup champions, and the New Zealand Black Ferns, the more dominant national women's team which has collected twice as many World Cup trophies as the men.

Two Coldstream women and one from Salmon Arm will have a chance to display their rugby skills in one of the greatest rugby nations on the planet.

Emery Britton and Elyse Koleba, and Salmon Arm's Louisa Imolele, have been selected to the B.C. Bears U18 women's 7s rugby team that will play at the 2024 Global Youth Sevens tournament in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, Dec. 13-15. The team, along with the B.C. Bears U18 men's squad, will leave in early December to get acclimatized to New Zealand.

"Attracting teams from all over the world, the Global Youth Sevens is a truly international, cultural festival of 7s rugby," said BC Rugby in a release announcing the provincial teams. "Participants not only get to experience a high level of competition on the field, but also soak in a week of amazing culture and hospitality off it.

"This will give B.C.'s best youth 7s athletes an exciting opportunity to showcase their talents and compete at a high-level event on the global stage against other top nations and representative sides."

Britton and Koleba helped the Seaton Sonics win the bronze medal at the 2024 B.C. High School Women's 7s championships, losing only once all season, to the inevitable B.C. champions, Claremont Spartans of Victoria, in a provincial semifinal.

The Sonics are coached by Paul Britton, Emery's father, a teacher in the Vernon School District. Having two players named to the provincial team is quite the feat.

"I have been very impressed by the work ethic and the amount of learning and dedication they have put toward this sport," said coach Britton of Emery and Elyse. "They both are leaders with our high school team, regional 15s team, and BC Summer Games 7s team."

The two Coldstream players, along with Imolele, had worked with the provincial head coach at some regional clinics, and all three were on the Thompson Okanagan zone team that finished fourth at the 2024 BC Summer Games in Maple Ridge. That led to the trio being invited to compete for a spot on the B.C. team this fall.

The three ladies went to Victoria in late September, and another tryout in Delta just before Thanksgiving, prior to playing in three exhibition games against two squads from Ontario and the Prince Edward Island provincial team. Britton, Koleba, and Imolele were placed on the same B.C. team (three provincial squads in total) that won every game.

"Sevens is a very hard game to hide in, and each of them were a valuable part of their team wins, scoring tries and making valuable assists while maintaining fierce defence," said Paul.

Koleba is a Grade 11 student who plays as a back at wing or centre for the Sonics. For the provincial squad, she becomes a forward, usually placed at the prop position, allowing the team to have another player on the field with a full compliment of back skills.

"In sevens, you want as many 鈥渂ack鈥�-type players on the field as possible, and Ellie fits the bill perfectly to be a versatile player," said coach Britton. "Beside her blistering speed and size, she is an absolute tackling machine."

Emery is in Grade 12 and typically plays fly half and some centre work (back positions) in sevens, and was tested out as possible fill in for scrum half (also a back). In Rugby 15s, she typically plays fly half and outside centre but is a versatile back.

"She also is a very confident kicker which can make or break the game," said coach Britton.

Imolele is described as "a force" on Salmon Arm's JL Jackson Secondary squad, helping them reach the BC School Sports Provincial Championships for the first time in history this past spring.

The trio also play club rugby for the Yeti Rugby Club based out of Salmon Arm.

"After an incredible amount of hard work and impressive performances... [they] have been selected to play for Team BC in this incredible opportunity. This tour not only offers them the chance to compete on an international stage, but also to gain invaluable experience and exposure to world-class training," said Austin Comeault, who coached the Yeti Rugby U18 girls team this fall. "We couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments and wish them the best of luck as they prepare for this amazing journey."