Charity Williams scores milestone try on home soil, Canada unbeaten at Vancouver 7s

It's been a year of accomplishments for rugby star Charity Williams.

There's the silver medal she captured with the Canadian women's sevens squad at the Paris Olympics in July. Then came a U Sports national championship with the University of British Columbia in November.

Williams added yet another important marker Friday, scoring her 100th career try as Canada downed Brazil 26-19 in its opening game of the HSBC SVNS stop in Vancouver.

"That's quite the milestone for me," she said. "I'm really proud of myself for being in the game for as long as I have."

The 28-year-old back from Toronto was playing her first game with Canada's sevens squad since the Olympics, but wasted little time in marking the feat.

Williams collected the ball from captain Piper Logan and darted in to touch in the first minute. She celebrated by forming her hands into a heart and holding them up to the hometown crowd.

"I was definitely happy," she said. "Obviously, I would have wanted to finish the season last season, go into the Olympics with that 100th try. Ending the season on 99 was kind of a tough pill to swallow.

"But I'm just really happy to be able to get the job done, especially to do it at home."

The 100-try milestone had the three-time Olympian — she also won bronze at the 2016 Games in Rio — reflecting on her long career.

"It definitely brings me back to the very beginning, when I was I guess 16 or 17. Literally feels like a lifetime ago. I was a baby," Williams said. "Back then I had no idea what was in store for me. And to look back and see that I've been here for over a decade, I'm just really grateful."

Williams is more than just an offensive force for the Canadian crew, said Logan.

"She is one of those kinds of teammates that will do