“The majority came by the end of the year, from October to December. But more came from January to May. They came fast and furious.”
In the end, they decided to do two signs. A smaller one, raised in May, was placed east of Souris along #2 Highway. A second, larger sign was up just last weekend.
The second sign was put up at Souris School on the rugby pitch. It was a natural place to honour someone who got her start at that spot.
The unveiling happened at a special time. Souris celebrated the 25th anniversary of the local rugby teams on July 17 and 18, which has been a big part of their local sports scene.
As well, Tuttosi herself was out for the event, which made it extra special.
“It was wonderful,” Murphy said. “She is so humble, very honoured by everything. She is pleased to represent Souris. She had family there, some friends around here. She is such a great ambassador for the town.”
Tuttosi has had a great career on the rugby pitch and that is continuing. She starred for years with the University of Calgary Dinos, earning four Canada West All Star recognitions and was named All Canadian in 2016.
She has represented Canada internationally, starting in 2018. She scored a hat trick against Japan in the 2021 World Cup and was part of the Team Canada team that won silver in 2025.
Tuttosi also played professionally as part of the Exeter Chiefs of the Women’s Rugby Union in England. Since 2020, the star hooker scored 31 ties in 88 games.
She is moving on to a new challenge, taking on the role of assistant coach with the University of Ottawa Gee Gees women’s rugby team, who start their season in August.
Murphy likened Tuttosi’s success and impact to someone drafted into the NHL. As she stated, the star is a great person for the community, helping out with rugby clinics when she is in the area and helping with coaching. Rugby is a growing sport and Tuttosi is a big part of that.
Murphy said she is a big source of pride for Souris, even with residents who do not follow the sport.
“She really rallied everyone. It’s obviously something important as we got so many donations for the signs. People are proud of her, and happy to have someone from Souris go that far.”
“She shows just because you are from a small town doesn’t mean you can’t do great things.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff