IT'S known as the land of maple syrup and politeness but Canada is about to learn that there's no niceties from Bathurst's Marita Shoulders and her Australian rugby side as they aim to put teams into sticky situations at the World Police & Fire Games.
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Shoulders is set to line up for the Australian Police Rugby Union side at the World Police & Fire Games in Winnipeg, Canada, starting from Friday local time.
Shoulders was a part of the APRU's last overseas tour four years ago and is keen for her biggest trip with the team to date.
The Bathurst Bulldogs prop said it's been a great journey to reach the two-and-a-half week tour of Canada.
"I went to Hong Kong in 2019 and we had our Police Rugby Championships in Noosa last year where I was selected for the Australian team, and now we're off to Canada," she said.
"We'll be going over with the rugby sevens side, so we'll have two teams competing in that. We'll play some 15-a-side there before we head off to Vancouver to take on some club teams.
"It's really cool but it's been a financial impact for the girls because we're all self funded. The club's been very supportive. They've thrown me some cash, and Ken and Jacinta Purvis from First National have been very supportive as well.
"Some of the girls are over there at the moment and all of the airport is set up for the games. It's such a big thing. It's going to be really cool going over there into an athletes' village, it's a totally different environment."
The presence of rugby sevens adds a different element to the games for the Australian squad.
Shoulders had to call on her speed when she played out of halfback recently, with the Country South Steelers at the NSW Police Cup, but said it'd be an interesting experience taking on the rugby sevens competition.
"It'll be interesting to have the sevens and the 15s combined. I'm a bit old for sevens but I'll give it a go," she laughed.
"Playing sevens adds a whole new dynamic to it. There's at least six games of sevens held over two days and then there's finals after that."
Shoulders is keen for the adventure but is disappointed knowing that she won't see out the remainder of the Bulldogs' Ferguson Cup regular season.
"I'm hoping the girls come through and get us into the finals because I'll miss the first week of semis," she said.
"I'll be back the week before the grand final. I've got faith in them though."
This is the third time the games have made their way to Canada after previously being held in Vancouver in 1989 and 2009.
The first game for Shoulders and her team in Canada will be on Saturday.
