Thalia Costa’s inspirational journey as SVNS Series trailblazer with Brazil

Blink and she is gone.

That is how lightning-fast Thalia da Silva Costa is. The Brazilian speedster arrived in cold Vancouver fresh from breaking the 100 Series’ try mark in Perth and will start on 107 touchdowns when As Yaras, under the cacophony that will be BC Place for the home side’s first game, tackle Olympic Medalists Canada.

The 27-year-old will not be too fazed with what is in front of her. She is brave, experienced and knows her strengths. From an underprivileged start in Northern Brazil to the big city lights and travelling the world, she has made huge steps forwards.

For most of these steps, she has been hand by hand with twin sister Thalita, also in Vancouver.

Born 27 years ago in underprivileged circumstances in São Luís, capital city of Maranhão State, growing up she understandably was a specialist in 100 and 200-meters.

Invited to try out the unknown game of rugby at AMARU (Associação Maranhão Rugby). February 17, 2017, was her first day in the game.

“I had never had any contact with a team sport; played a little bit with volleyball, but not much,” Thalia Costa, her preferred name, said a couple of years ago. “What caught my attention of rugby was its values, the people, the welcoming nature of the team, as if it were truly a family.”

Six months later, Thalita saw the joy her sister took and decided to come and see. She was also hooked.

As things happened, rugby started taking precedence and when considering an athletic scholarship to study in a university in Recife, she was told to consider rugby. A year later, in 2018, she was invited to join the Brazilian rugby team in Sao Paulo, where she currently lives.

“I started to think about whether (athletics) was the life I wanted for myself. I realized I wanted to play rugby, especially since I had tried athletics and it hadn’t really worked out. I allowed myself to try something new, try rugby,” she told Olympics.com.

Brazilian legend Baby Futuro, on her final legs in international rugby, remembers those early days of Thalia.

“She was raw talent, very brave and very fast, but did not really know the game. She was at times played at halfback to help her with her understanding of the game,” she told RugbyPass from Sao Paulo where she leads development projects for Brazil Rugby and sits at the Athlete’s Committee at the national Olympic body.

“I played against and with her and it was a pleasure to have someone that could finish off moves.”

Thalia’s international debut was in 2018 in the ODESUR Games, an experience she remembers well.

“It was incredible because it was a big event with many incredible athletes from various sports; we won which made the experience even more incredible.”

Whilst she doesn’t remember her first try in yellow, she does tell RugbyPass about the first try she remembers vividly. Playing the final of the South American 7s in Montevideo, Brazil were losing by two points.

“There was only one play left and I could only hear everyone saying ‘give the ball to Thalia’ and that’s what the girls did. I managed to make a run out and score the winning try; it was a very emotional final.”

Countless tournaments followed including two Olympic Games as she was gaining headlines with her try-scoring prowess. In the HSBC SVNS, her piston-like legs pumping speed, has brought her an incredible strike-rate of 107 tries in 135 matches. This in a side that losses more than it wins. Her speed has been clocked at 31kph.

The diminutive winger standing at 153cms, takes the utmost joy of playing with Thalita, who she beat to life by two minutes. Their normal bond as the shy twins is reinforced by living away from home and enjoying the same experiences.

Thalita, five cms taller and six kgs heavier, is stronger and plays in the forwards; she has only 12 tries to her name; overtime she has come out of the shadow of her sister and shines on her own in a different role.

From the stands they are only distinguishable because of their jersey numbers: Thalia #5, Thalita 13.

Playing together, says Thalia, “means that God’s plans are bigger than ours. I never imagined I would represent Brazil alongside her. It’s something extraordinary.”

“It’s double achievements, double dreams, double accomplishments. We’ve created more connections and become closer. For our family, it means strengthening bonds. They know that Thalita and I will always support each other and that we’re creating happy memories and, above all, living our dreams together.”

Amongst those share memories and dreams is the social project back at home in Maranhão: “Rugby da felicidade” bringing the game to young girls and boys, built together with many of their early coaches.

Humble to the extreme, when recognised by the Brazilian Olympic Committee with the 2024 Olympic Award for rugby, she said: “It reflects all the effort, dedication and hard work that few can see. It shows it was worth giving up so many things, especially being away from family in so many important moments.”

In thanking her family for her support and encouragement, she added: “I am honoured, but would like to express my gratitude to all the Yaras who are incredible women with whom I share the daily routine of an athlete’s life,” says the future physiotherapist, in her final year at uni.

The 100 try milestone was fast approaching and after the initial two rounds in Dubai and Perth, it was clear that it would come in Perth, third stop in the travelling circus’ world-wide tour.

In the second game against Japan, she picked the ball from the back of a ruck two steps inside the opposition’s 22 metres, an angled her run.

“First touch for the little magician of Brazilian Rugby. 100 tries, the first Brazilian woman to do it!,” shouted Rikki Swannell in a seminal moment for the game in the South American country.

“It was a very emotional try; all my teammates were anxious for that moment, and it was exactly how I imagined, a try built by the team that I finished off. After scoring I could only laugh with joy, gratitude, personal achievement and knowing I was putting our team ahead in the game.”

As Futuro says, “The importance of the milestone is that we are showing more consistency which brings us better results.”

As Brazil are trying to stay in the Series for yet another season, Thalia’s efforts are much needed.

When asked if she imagined a game she knew nothing about would someday open so many doors, she laughed.

“I never imagined the importance rugby would bring to my life; if I had imagined it I would have joined faster.”

Fast she is.