Just over a week ago, six members of the Manitoba Fearless got the call that they’ll be playing for Team Canada in the upcoming IFAF Women’s World Championship in Finland. Taking place in July, offensive linemen Andrea Backlund and Julie Sprague, as well as running back Hallie Eggie, defensive back Nicole Drouin and defensive linemen Brooklyn Dyce and Nura Muhindo will all be looking to help Canada advance to the gold medal game, something they’ve done in each of the three previous iterations of the tournament.
Manitoba’s group of six features a variety of ages and backgrounds, all of whom bring their own unique flair to the Fearless, as well as Team Canada.
Backlund back for round two, as a player and mentor
Of the six athletes, Backlund is the only player with previous national team experience on the gridiron, having donned the red and white at the inaugural world championship in 2010. That year, nine players from the Fearless were named to the roster.
“It definitely feels really good. I’ve been playing football since I was 12 years old. After you kind of grow up and you hit life, you don’t think you can do some of this stuff anymore, but you work hard and you put in the minutes, you can do it,” noted the veteran centre.
“Once I started hitting the gym and I was getting back into shape, I was like you know what, I think I’ve got one more in me.”
Not only does Backlund have experience on the national stage, she’s also one of the most experienced female football players in the province, both as a coach and player. This is her 14th season as an athlete, and she’s also heavily involved as a role model and guide. She’s currently the head coach of the St. Vital Mustangs First Down Program, and helps to provide a positive first experience for young players who are new to the game.
Backlund has seen first-hand how much the sport has grown for women since 2010, and the different level of athletes that are now showcasing their skills, both at the local and national level.
One of the reasons for this is the Manitoba Girls Football Association (MGFA), which Sprague and Drouin are both products of. Last year, the MGFA – the first full-contact football program for girls in North America – celebrated its ten-year anniversary, and is open for those aged 10-17. It was started by Lisa Zueff-Cummings and Tanis Wilson, who were also instrumental in the creation of the Fearless previously.
Backlund coached both Drouin and Sprague, helping aid in their fundamental development as players. The former, who’s also a standout rugby, has blossomed into one of the most physical defensive backs in the country, while the latter – who had Backlund as her first-ever coach – was the Fearless’ Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, Most Outstanding Offensive Player in 2018 and a major reason why Eggie has been the WWCFL’s leading rusher each of the last two seasons.
“If it wasn’t for starting that league, I would not be here, and some of the girls I’ve coached, like [quarterback] Madi [Siwicki], [receiver] Morgan [Moffatt], seeing them, they deserve this,” said an emotional Sprague, who understands just how important equality in football is.
“Without that league, there would be girls who are lost, because some sports are lame, and they deserve it.”
“It’s so huge,” added Backlund of the MGFA’s importance.
“Girls never had the opportunity for it, and as someone who never had that opportunity when I was playing football, it allows so many more girls to be like hey, I can actually go out there and do it now. You see them come up through the ranks and you see the talent on the field now because of it. It’s such a great opportunity. This province is just making our way across the country saying we support women in football and we support girls in football and we’re going to get it done.”
Things have come full circle with the trio proudly coming together to represent their nation.
“I was on [Backlund’s] team in 2014 when we went to South Carolina. She’s coached me since and I’ve gotten to play alongside her. She’s a great coach, she’s a great player. She hypes us up before every game,” said Drouin.
“If you hear her in the huddle before the game starts, she’s the reason everyone gets so fired up. It’s amazing. In 2014 I knew that I wanted to make Team Canada. It’s a childhood dream recognized, especially with everyone here.”
As Drouin mentioned, she’s waited a long time for this opportunity, and has had countless mentors along the way. Along with Backlund and others, she’s been aided by her older brother Jeremie, a former ANAVETS Bowl champion with St. Paul’s who also played U SPORTS football with Bishop’s and Manitoba, as well as junior football with the Westshore Rebels. His presence in her life cannot be understated, and she held back tears when discussing just how important his tutelage was in the lead-up to tryouts for Team Canada.
“He’s everything honestly. Prepping for Team Canada, especially because I live in BC, he was my trainer for seven months. I literally wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. I started playing football because of him. That’s how we became best friends, we’re not just brother and sister. He’s literally the most important person in my life.”
Eggie overcomes adversity to rep the red and white
Anyone who’s seen multi-sport standout Hallie Eggie run the rock knows that she takes no prisoners. A fearless downhill ball-carrier who isn’t afraid to make contact, she’s accumulated 1,585 yards and six majors over the prior two seasons and is well on track to lead the WWCFL in rushing yards yet again in 2022 for a Fearless team that’s won their last two games in a row, including against top contender Regina.
Her efforts can be seen on game day, as well as in practice. She seeks perfection on every rep and her standard of leadership helps those around her to be better as well.
“We have a lot of girls that this might be their first touchdown in a game. We have to hype that up. It boosts confidence. I am so proud of everybody that gets in the end zone or gets a first down or makes a good block or tackle. We’re not successful unless everyone is successful,” she noted.
“I’m happy for everyone to go out there and kill it at their spot. I’m going to be the first one in the end zone celebrating with them. My arms will go up first if I think it’s a touchdown. If I’m in the backfield and you need a lead block, I am going to try and get up there. We need to talk. It’s a game of communication and the louder you are, I think the better off you are.”
Eggie feeds off of her teammates, as well as her positional coach Matt Henry, a former Vanier Cup champion with the Manitoba Bisons who’s known the running back for 12 years. He’s constantly sprinting up and down the sideline during games and his passion and energy helps fuel one of the most efficient offences in the country.
The pair also know what it’s like to overcome adversity. For Henry, that came in the 2007 Vanier Cup when he broke his femur on a gruesome play that still gets talked about in football circles to this day. Despite the nasty injury, he was able to come back for the 2008 season and is near the top of every major statistical category in Bisons history.
Eggie also knows what it’s like to deal with a serious injury. Her career nearly ended two years ago after suffering a complete achilles rupture. Despite severing the largest and strongest tendon in the body, she busted her butt and made it back for 2021, despite the season being cancelled.
During her recovery process, she showed just how tough she is. She was in a cast for two weeks and then an air cast, but returned to the gym just seven days later because, in her own words, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”
She had to re-learn how to walk and use her muscles for balance, but now stands proudly in her Fearless gear yet again.
“I worked really, really hard, so when last year didn’t happen it was kind of disappointing, but it was just more time to get better,” she said. “I didn’t know if I’d play again, but I had a really good team behind me at the gym and teammates and I’m back.”
Eggie also had to learn a new position while trying out for Team Canada, but after the setbacks she’s already faced, it was just another day at the office for an incredibly resilient human being who’s looking better than ever.
“I studied the playbook for a certain position and I got there and I had to learn a new position. I tried to go in with lots of flexibility and with an open mind, and I just did my best with what I could learn in three days,” she recalled. “I’m better for the experience and I hope I was able to show my willingness to do whatever the team needed.”
Dyce and Muhindo bring high performance background to Team Canada
Two members of one of the most vaunted defensive lines in the nation, Brooklyn Dyce and Nura Muhindo know exactly what it takes to perform at the highest level of their craft.
Dyce – a three-year veteran of the Fearless who previously played running back for the Crescentwood Grizzlies in the MMFA – was a standout soccer player who went to the states to play for North Dakota State. She made a seamless transition to the senior women’s level, where she’s also the kicker and punter for the team, while also getting in at fullback during goal line situations.
A nonstop competitor and physical tackler, Dyce sets the tone for the d-line at practice, and also has family ties to the sport, as her brother Trysten (who previously played for the University of Manitoba, St. Paul’s Crusaders and Crescentwood Grizzlies) and dad Bob are both coaches in the CFL.
“I just want us to be dominant. I want them to show up and bring their best every play, and if they don’t we’re going to beat them,” she humbly mentioned of the d-line’s attitude on a daily basis. “It’s a lot of fun. I love contributing to this team and scoring points is always fun.”
Dyce was part of the national training centre for soccer, and is fulfilling a dream to represent her country this July.
“I never got an opportunity to play for the team as a soccer player, so when the tryout came up I knew I definitely wanted to try out. I’m just super excited to get the opportunity to represent Canada.”
Muhindo grew up playing many sports, including badminton, track and handball, the final of which she represented her province in in 2017. She’s always been athletic, and has had a passion for football since she was in grade four.
She played midget and major with the Transcona Nationals and is now in her fifth season with the Fearless, where she uses her speed and strength to lay the boom down on anyone who dares to come run in her direction.
“It’s about sticking to your assignment and knowing where you need to go and trusting your teammates that they’re going to go in their gap and do their job, and just make sure that you do your job and work together, communicate, call the pulls and the passes and the runs and just talk and be a team together,” she said.
“That definitely helps us, the communication, and hitting hard. You have to hit hard.”
Muhindo and Dyce fed off of each other during Team Canada tryouts, and are sure to wreak havoc yet again this July.
“It was phenomenal having teammates there, and having that energy from them and hyping each other up. You go there and you don’t know anybody, so having the other five players on the team and having Brooklyn on the line with me, that was definitely motivating. Seeing her go out there and hit someone, I’m going to go in there and hit just as hard. We were hyping each other up and feeding off each other’s energy. She was a great asset to have there.”