When you鈥檙e a home-province player in the tunnel of B.C Place, and 30,000 fans are awaiting your entrance for the sa国际传媒 Sevens rugby tournament, certain things have a way of curing themselves.
鈥淎ll those niggling little injuries suddenly disappear,鈥� said Canadian player Pat Kay of Duncan.
鈥淭his tournament [Saturday and Sunday] is definitely exciting, especially for the players from sa国际传媒, but all the Canadian players.鈥�
The sa国际传媒 Sevens, now in its third year, has become an unexpected hit of the World Series season with colourfully-clad fans filling the lower bowl of sa国际传媒 Place to cheer on the Langford-based Canadian national side.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a highlight we have circled in red on the calendar,鈥� said Nathan Hirayama, the former University of Victoria Vikes great.
鈥淭he crowds are amazing and are excited as we are. Nobody expected it to take off as it has.鈥�
For the sa国际传媒 players, there are added things taking away from the focus on the field.
鈥淭his is a celebration not only for the sa国际传媒 players, but all the Canadian players. The distractions are something we have to manage with family and friends,鈥� said Hirayama, a native of Richmond.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to stay focused on the job, on the field, that we have worked so hard for in training in Langford.鈥�
If there鈥檚 a harbinger for sa国际传媒, it鈥檚 that the host Americans won the Las Vegas Sevens last weekend in Sin City.
Needing increased consistency, however, is a theme running through the Canadian camp.
鈥淲e鈥檝e finished anywhere from fourth to 13th this season in World Series tournaments. Being more consistent is the key for us,鈥� said Kay, a graduate of the Cowichan High Thunderbirds.
sa国际传媒 is in 11th place in the World Series standings, but the top-10 beckons with France just two points ahead and Samoa three.
South Africa, New Zealand and 2016 Rio Olympics gold-medallist Fiji head into the sa国际传媒 Sevens as the top three squads. But there鈥檚 plenty of time for the other national teams to make up ground.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big year, and a long year, with the World Cup in San Francisco and Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast [Australia], added in to make it a 12-tournament season for us,鈥� noted Kay.
The women鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens, hosted by the 2016 Olympic bronze-medallist Canadian side, will run May 12-13 at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
