John Moonlight was told if he “wanted a shot” in rugby, he needed to come to the Island, where much of the sport’s apparatus is based in this country. He took that chance in 2007.
Moonlight now leaves, selling his Victoria apartment to take a position as a firefighter in his hometown of Pickering, Ont., having earned 24 Test caps in XVs and 65 tournaments played for Canada in sevens. He played in the 2015 XVs World Cup, won two Pan Am Games gold medals and made three Commonwealth Games appearances at Delhi 2010, Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018.
Moonlight was that ideal combination of speed and physicality coaches look for in sevens and retires as the all-time Canadian leader in international sevens matches played with 318 and as the second-leading Canadian career try scorer with 116.
“I always put everything I could into my performances and for my team,” said the former James Bay Athletic Association and UVic Vikes star.
Moonlight was Canadian captain for much of his sevens career.
“Leading this team was never hard,” he said.
“It was always a group effort. It can never be just one guy.”
Moonlight, Phil Mack of Victoria and former UVic Vikes great Nathan Hirayama represented the triumvirate that carried Canadian sevens, with the high point being Canada’s world No. 6 ranking in 2014. That was recognized when Moonlight was named to the all-world Dream Team in 2013-14 with Mack.
Cousin David Moonlight was the leader of an earlier generation that elevated the Canadian sevens team.
“Dave [Moonlight], Phil [Mack] and Nate [Hirayama] are the epitome — they set the standard for Canada,” said John Moonlight.
Many would say the same about him.
“I never even pictured myself as a sevens player until [UVic coach] Doug Tate convinced me,” said John Moonlight.
What a ride it turned out to be: “I will never forget my first sevens cap, in Hong Kong against Fiji, and running out in front of the south stand. I don’t think I have been more nervous in my entire life.”
Although Moonlight made it to the World Cup in XVs, the Olympics eluded him when sevens made its debut at Rio 2016 without Canada qualifying: “The Olympics is the one thing I didn’t get to play in that I really wanted to. But the cards didn’t play out for us.”
Moonlight will now leave qualifying for Tokyo 2020 in other hands. He received the job offer with the City of Pickering Fire Department, beginning May 7, while he was in Gold Coast this month playing in the Commonwealth Games. Moonlight jumped on it. At age 30, he knew it was time for a regular life away from sports globe-trotting.
Moonlight counts as a career highlight Canada’s first and only World Series tournament championship last year in the Singapore Sevens. But while his Canadian teammates are in the 2018 Singapore Sevens this weekend looking to defend the title, Moonlight will be driving to Ontario with most of his worldly possessions.
“It’s still surreal and hasn’t kicked in yet,” he said.
“I think this weekend — when I am driving across the country, and the guys are in Singapore playing — is when it will hit me.”
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