Why, asked her mom, Cindy, a former college volleyball player, would Mya Koleba – quote – "try to kill yourself" when she showed interest in playing the sport of rugby?
The interest began when Koleba was 11, and she was playing rugby 7s – seven players to a side – with "a bunch of dudes on a field." That led to trying rugby 15s (15 players to a side).
Since she began the sport, the 18-year-old Koleba, from Coldstream, has won a provincial high school bronze medal (7s), signed to play at university (UBC), and won a Western Canadian 7s title and Canadian 15s championship in the same year, losing only one game combined.
Koleba capped off a magnificent 2024-25 year by being named to the Canadian Women's U20 team that will tour Ireland in May.
"My mom was not super keen on me playing rugby at first, but one of her friends played the sport at the University of Guelph, my best friend's mom, and she told me I had to try it," said Koleba, in between arts studies and rugby practices at the Vancouver UBC campus. "My mom saw me play and she said, 'OK, you can do this.'"
"I'm pretty excited (about going to Ireland). This has been a dream of mine to play for the national team, and this is a first step in the right direction. I want to take the sport as far as I can."
Koleba is among 28 players selected to represent Canada’s U20 Women’s Rugby Team in Dublin.
Canada will play against Ireland on May 10 and May 17.
“The selection process for this year’s U20 women’s team included five regional camps held in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, B.C. and the Atlantic, as well as players’ performance in provincial U19 competition and U SPORTS,” said Dean Murten, head coach of Canada’s U20 Women’s rugby team, and Koleba's head coach for 15s at UBC. “This is an exciting group of up-and-coming players that our experienced coaching staff is looking forward to working with in Ireland.”
Eight players on the team helped the University of British Columbia to their first-ever U SPORTS Women’s Rugby 15s Championship title this past fall, including Koleba. That team lost its opening game of the year, 22-17, to the University of Victoria Vikes, then won their next nine, outscoring their opponents 483-85 in the process.
UBC defeated UVIC 8-3 in the U-SPORTS Canadian Women's Rugby 15s championship in Charlottetown.
Koleba was named Canada West Rookie of the Year, but lost the U-SPORTS award to Kennedi Stevenson from the Queen's Golden Gaels in Kingston, Ont. The Gaels won bronze in U-SPORTS 15s. Stevenson has also been named to the Canadian U20 squad heading to Ireland.
Koleba needed no time to adjust to the university level, as her power and athleticism made her a near-instant insert into the Thunderbirds’ starting lineup. She recorded two tries in the 15s season, but her biggest value lies in her defensive play, where she’s consistently able to make good tackles and disrupt the opposition.
Her coaches highlighted her ability to always gain ground with the ball in her hands as one of her many impressive traits.
"Her physicality and athleticism make teams and others take notice of her," said Murten. "She's eager to improve and get better, has a good work ethic, and is very dedicated in her own development. Having the ability to play both 15s and 7s is important for her development."
In the spring, Koleba and UBC went undefeated in the Canada West 7s conference, winning all 15 games by a combined margin of 419-60. The Thunderbirds knocked off Victoria 24-19 in the conference championship. Koleba plays as a back in 7s, and is a back row, open side flank forward in 15s.
Koleba attended a rugby training camp in Grade 9, organized by the UBC Thunderbirds, and she kept an eye on the school. She went to a recruitment camp in Grade 12, got into UBC, talked things over with Murten, and committed to the program.
In her final high school season, Koleba helped the Seaton Sonics win the bronze medal at the 2024 Provincial High School Girls Rugby 7s tournament.
What she loves about the sport at both levels is that rugby is more about athleticism and grit than refined skill.
"Obviously at the higher levels, you get that refined skill plays a part, but if you're an athlete and have good agility and awareness on the field, you can do really well regardless if you've been playing the sport for a long time," said Koleba, who was also drawn to rugby's family-like culture as she described it.
Koleba is the second-oldest of Cindy and Jason Koleba's four daughters (dad also played volleyball in college). Younger sister Elise Koleba was named to the B.C. Bears U18 Women's Rugby 7s team that played in a global tournament in New Zealand in December 2024. Koleba hopes her younger sister will join her at UBC in a couple of years.
"She's in Grade 11 and says she wants to go to a bible college after high school," said Koleba. "But it would be so great if she came here and we could play together."
Away from the pitch and the books, Koleba likes to hang out with her friends, watch movies, and play drop-in volleyball and basketball.
