Pitch Perfect
May 26, 2026
UVic social sciences grad, Vikes star, Olympian and activist Pamphinette Buisa fought her way back from the heartbreak of injury to make a new start playing pro rugby in the United Kingdom.
Pamphinette Buisa recalls being told at age three that she was “too loud” or “too much.” As a child growing up in Gatineau, Quebec, she was energetic and exuberant. She played sports, but it wasn’t until a coach suggested rugby that she found her true joy and calling. “My basketball high-school coach encouraged me to try rugby,” recalls Buisa. “In rugby, you are allowed to hit people.”
Buisa played basketball, volleyball and rugby in high school until her parents explained the practicality of choosing one sport. “We were not wealthy, not like some other athletes, so I picked rugby and sold T-shirts to pay for my first out-of-province trip,” says Buisa, who joined Quebec’s provincial team.
Buisa is now an elite rugby player as well as an Olympian, speaker, storyteller and media pundit. “With rugby I can bring my whole self—all of me can exist in the same place—the aggressive, the loud, the soft; I don’t have to shrink myself,” says Buisa, speaking from Bristol, England, where she plays rugby professionally.
Her first ever plane trip was travelling to Vancouver for provincials, which were hosted by the University of British Columbia. “That trip opened my eyes to the potential of exploring the world with rugby,” she says.
While at UBC provincials, Buisa was scouted by Canada’s national team for the Youth Olympic Games in China. She flew again, this time across the world—an astounding opportunity. Suddenly, rugby had opened up Buisa’s life to travel and adventure.
Life, work and sport at UVic
Buisa wanted to live on the West Coast, so she chose the University of Victoria to be part of the Vikes. “My time playing with the Vikes was very foundational,” says Buisa. “So many memories and lifelong friends.” Buisa suited up for the Vikes for about a year before joining the national team.
Having grown up with a lack of Black female athletes as role models—Buisa was now able to be one herself. She was raised to be strong. Her parents grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then lived in South Africa during the Apartheid before immigrating to Canada. “I watched them overcome daily challenges. They taught me resilience, how to keep going."
During her time at UVic, Buisa worked at the Alumni Relations office while studying Political Science with a minor in social justice. She quickly became a call-centre supervisor and taught other students how to fundraise. “I learned a lot about storytelling and what skills go into making connections with people over the phone in under seven minutes,” reflects Buisa.
Balancing university courses and rugby practices took commitment and organization. After joining the national team, Buisa travelled extensively with Rugby Canada. “My political science degree took a bit longer to complete,” says Buisa. “I was emailing assignments from around the world, Dubai, Peru, wherever the team was playing.” Luckily, her professors were supportive. “I am grateful for the flexibility shown by my professors at UVic,” she adds.
Activism takes root
As a university student and athlete, Buisa started to find her voice on social media while advocating for BIPOC rights on campus. After the pandemic postponed the 2020 Olympic Games and in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, Buisa turned to organizing Black Lives Matter rallies in various cities across Canada.
“Fighting racial injustice was a way to translate my academic learning into real life,” she says.
Buisa posted about a Black Lives Matter rally—her first—and over 2,000 people attended. When she used her platform to promote a second rally, 20,000 people showed up. Speaking with BBC Sport Today, she said, “I was dressed head-to-toe black, had my afro out, fist up, with all my people. It was so empowering.”
After Rugby Canada’s lacklustre performance in the 2020 Olympics, Buisa knew she needed to dig deep to find the confidence needed for the next international match—the 2025 World Cup.
Canada’s team trained hard in preparation, and Buisa was ready, but then in February 2025 she injured her wrist during the HSBC World Series Sevens tournament in Vancouver.
Undeterred, she tirelessly did her rehabilitation exercises so she could rejoin her team. A week before the World Cup, during a practice match against Ireland, Buisa was hit hard in a tackle, this time injuring her shoulder. “I was ruled out—after all those months of rehab. It was devastating to miss the World Cup.”
Battling back from injury, again
Sidelined, Buisa turned to her Instagram platform posting about her injury, recovery and how she faces adversity. BBC Sport heard Buisa had been ruled out and contacted her about being a commentator for the 2025 World Cup. “It was a crazy position to be in,” she says. “I was the first Canadian who was also an active player to be a pundit for the World Cup match.”
Being a commentator helped her heal. “I had to think on the fly and look at the game in a different way. It was emotional not to be on the pitch, but I had to compartmentalize and focus on the analysis of the game.” The BBC had over six million viewers for the Word Cup—so she started in the deep end.
“I found a new respect for broadcasting; the preparation reminded me of high-performance sport, all the work happens beforehand,” says Buisa. “No one sees what goes on behind the scenes.”
In an historic win, Canada beat New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2025 World Cup. This was a landmark victory ending New Zealand's reign as world champion, and it secured Canada a spot in the World Cup final.
“Our win against New Zealand was one of the happiest days of my life, even though I was on the sideline. I found another platform—a sports commentator—to highlight elite women’s rugby.”
A new start in Bristol
For Buisa, rugby is the only sport in which she can be her true self: confident, aggressive, joyful. It’s also a sport that requires different physiques to make a good team. “Rugby is an inclusive sport. It requires all sorts of body types to work. Every position requires something unique,” she observes.
After playing for Rugby Canada for over a decade, Buisa recently made a leap across the pond to join UK’s Bristol Bears. “I have played for Canada for 11 years; it was time to get outside my comfort zone. Choosing a new country and a new team is deeply challenging, but I wanted to try living in Europe.”
Buisa is now connecting with her new team and exploring Bristol’s history. “There is so much history here, and the architecture and museums are amazing.” As she trains with the Bristol Bears, she has set her sights on the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
During this new chapter, Buisa is developing her identity as a speaker, organizer and media commentator. Her Instagram feed is rich with inspirational and motivational videos for anyone experiencing life’s setbacks.
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She remembers the day a sports agent told her, “You are not marketable.”
In an Instagram post, Buisa told her followers: “I believed him. For months. Not because he was right—but because I let one person’s opinion become the story I told myself. Here’s what I learned: The problem isn’t what they say. It’s how fast we believe them. Who are you still trying to prove wrong?”
—Anne MacLaurin, BA ’91, Cert ’00
This article appears in the UVic Torch alumni magazine.
For more Torch stories, go to the UVic Torch alumni magazine page.