As big as it will be, it鈥檚 important for the Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 sevens rugby team to keep a sense of perspective and not let two days in August at Rio engulf everything else this year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 overwhelming . . . all we hear is Olympics, Olympics, Olympics,鈥� said star player Magali Harvey.
But how sa国际传媒 plays in the lead-up 2016 Sevens World Series will determine Olympic seedings and how the medal-favourites fare at the Rio Summer Games.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting year, but we鈥檙e still focusing on the process, and that includes four more World Series tournaments,鈥� said Magali.
The World Series began last month with Australia winning the opening Dubai Sevens and continues with the Brazil Sevens in Sao Paulo on Feb. 20-21, U.S. Sevens in Atlanta from April 8-9, sa国际传媒 Sevens at Westhills Stadium in Langford on April 16-17 and the France Sevens in Clermont-Ferrand on May 28-29.
A news conference was held Monday at Butchart Gardens to announce the start of ticket sales for the sa国际传媒 Sevens tournament, which last year attracted a sellout of 6,600 fans over two days to Westhills Stadium.
鈥淭his is the biggest event Langford does . . . and our national team will move from there on to the Olympics later this summer,鈥� said Langford Mayor Stew Young.
It was through finishing second overall in the 2014-15 World Series standings that sa国际传媒 qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Canadian captain Jenn Kish missed last year鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens in Langford due to injury, but said that provided her with a unique perspective from the stands.
鈥淭he atmosphere at Westhills was amazing,鈥� said the native of Edmonton. 鈥淲e went from there to win gold at the Pan Am Games in Toronto and could feel our nation behind us.鈥�
But the Pan Am Games are not the Olympics.
鈥淲e鈥檙e podium contenders for Rio, so there is a lot of pressure, but we have our support staff and coping mechanisms, so we can concentrate on performance and not all the external factors of an Olympic year,鈥� said Kish.
Ashley Steacy captained sa国际传媒 last year at Westhills in Kish鈥檚 absence.
鈥淭he crowds, enthusiasm and atmosphere was fantastic in Langford and we learned from it [after letting the home-field moment get to them in placing sixth at Westhills],鈥� said Steacy, a native of Lethbridge.
Harvey concurred about the 2015 Langford tournament: 鈥淚t was an incredible atmosphere and the crowd was crazy.鈥�
Tickets for the event at Westhills Stadium are $40 for a tournament pass, or $25 for a day pass, and go on sale Thursday for early-bird purchase and then wide next Monday at canadasevens.com/womens.
