StFX mourns passing of Duffley

July 9, 2008 - The StFX athletic community and the X-Women rugby team is mourning the loss of one of their own after second year student-athlete Rachael Duffley was killed tragically July 6 in a motor vehicle accident in southern New Brunswick.

A native of Belleisle, NB, the 18 year old had recently completed the first year of her Human Kinetics degree at StFX University and was a member of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) champion X-Women rugby team. She was travelling alone in her car late afternoon and as police concluded 'she was driving in a normal, safe manner' when her vehicle veered off the road and after overcompensating to try to correct the wheels, she lost control and the vehicle rolled several times. She was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the accident.

"Rachael was going to be a big part of our program," comments X-Women rugby head coach Mike Cavanagh. "She was a good up and coming player, had great work ethic, and what she lacked in size she made up for in desire. She was very well liked by her teammates. We had a tight bunch of rookie players that came in this year, so her death will be difficult on them, but we have a close and open team that will come together and get through this just as we did when we lost Michelle [Birks]."

Rachael’s death is the second in a year and a half for the X-Women varsity rugby team, as they lost teammate Michelle Birks in February, 2007 due to sudden heart arrhythmia. "It is a difficult thing to deal with no matter when or how it happens," comments Cavanagh.