Known to his teammates simply as “Captain Canada,” Rugby Canada’s John Moonlight reflects on Canada’s historic win in Singapore and life after Rugby.
John Moonlight is one of the best 7’s rugby players in the world. And on Canada’s last stop on the world series in Singapore, Moonlight and his teammates did something they had never done, they won the cup final. It was a milestone moment for Moonlight.
“We were kinda joking about it with the boys that maybe we should have a peak party cause this might be the top for us,” Moonlight says, “but, hopefully there will be a few more times we can lift it and it took a lot of work a lot of time on this field to get there.”
Moonlight has played more stops on the world series than any player in Canadian sevens history,y but at 30 years old and the Tokyo Olympic Games almost four years away, it’s daunting to think of playing until then.
“I’m playing it year by year right now,” “Moonlight says, “we got a World Cup next year and the Commonwealth Games so we’ll go to that hopefully and it all depends on how the body is feeling, if I’m healthy then I’m ready to go and I’m just gonna go with it.”
Moonlight also knows that his career can end at any point.
“Every time you put on that jersey it could be your last time,” Moonlight says, “something could happen you could get an injury and then you can’t represent your country so can’t take that for granted.”
For many pro athletes, life after sport is hard to comprehend but for Moonlight, he is preparing for life after the game and recently went to Texas to complete his firefighter certification.
“I stressed to a lot of the young guys here, you have to have a plan,” Moonlight says, “you don’t make a whole lot of money playing rugby, and you gotta have something to go to from here.”
And being a star rugby player at the camp didn’t hurt.
“I think it might’ve gotten me out of a few push-ups and sit-ups and that, couple guys were rugby guys so it helped me out.”
And helping out is a big reason why Moonlight is preparing to be a firefighter after his days on the rugby pitch are over.
“You’re helping people out, you get to make a difference in people’s lives during their time of stress, you’re there to help them out and that’s a big thing for me.”
Tyler Bennett
