Each Wednesday for a five-week period from June 5 to July 3, one of the newly minted inductees to the McGill Sports Hall of Fame will be profiled. In our third installment for the Class of 2024, read about rugby player Brianna Miller (B.Ed '14).
Born Sept. 18, 1991 Miller was raised in Pointe Claire, Que., and was recruited to McGill in 2010 out of John Abbott College. Now 32 years old, she becomes the second-youngest inductee ever to the Hall, five months older than hockey's Catherine Ward who was enshrined in 2019. The youngest male laureate was swimmer Steven Bielby at age 33 in 2023.
Miller was a four-time rugby conference all-star and two-time All-Canadian during a four-year university career with the McGill Martlets from 2010 to 2013, graduating with a physical education degree in 2014. She repeated as a league all-star in 2015 after transferring to Ottawa for a master's degree and helping guide the Gee-Gees to an undefeated record and RSEQ championship. Miller served as captain with the McGill program and won three straight league scoring titles, becoming the team's all-time leading scorer with 370 points in 26 career regular season contests, an average of 14.2 points per outing. A former conference rookie of the year and two-time league MVP, the 5-foot-5 scrum-half and fullback was named CIS player of the year in 2013.
"Brianna's individual skills are brilliant," said former McGill head coach Matthew Stephens, who also served as technical director and assistant coach of the Canadian national senior women's team from 2003 to 2006. "She kicks, with both feet, for points at an international level. She passes both left and right-handed, is a strong tackler and an amazingly elusive runner. A natural leader, she has worked very hard on her vision and how to run a game, improving all those around her. She has become a complete player at a high-level. Her finesse and vision have played a large role in our success."
In her sophomore year, Miller played for Canadian under-20 team at the 2011 Nations Cup tourney in Santa Barbara, Calif. She later represented McGill while helping Canada win bronze in rugby sevens at the 2013 FISU World University Games in Kazan, Russia. She made her debut with the national senior team in 2016 and has had 33 appearances to date. Currently, her last game for the country was in 2022. After she tallied a pair of tries in the World Cup opener against Japan in New Zealand, she suffered a season-ending injury in the following game against Italy. She is hoping to make a comeback in the fall of 2024.
In 2018, Miller was appointed to a full-time post at John Abbott College, where she primarily teaches fitness conditioning, team sports, spinning and badminton classes.
Other laureates accompanying Miller in the McGill induction class of 2024 include hockey players
Alexandre Picard-Hooper (B.Com '12) of Boucherville, Que., and
Cathy Chartrand (B.Ed '12) of Lac Nominingue, Que., football's
Randy Chevrier (B.Ed '01) of St. Leonard, Que., and in the builder category, is
Geraldine Dubrule [BSc (PE) '57], who was raised in Ottawa and currently a resident of Kingston, Ont.
Founded in 1996 and located inside Tomlinson Hall at the Sir Arthur Currie Gymnasium on Pine Avenue West, the pantheon now has 180 honoured members, 31 of them Olympians. This year's induction luncheon is slated for Friday, Oct. 25, as part of McGill Homecoming 2024, and will be held at Le Windsor ballroom on Peel Street. Ticket information will be announced in early September.
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell)
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
