The glass slipper cracked.
There will be no repeat of last year鈥檚 magical run through the Singapore Sevens for the Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 rugby sevens team.
The defending champions were bounced in the group stage on Saturday and must content themselves with the consolation side of the 2018 tournament.
It added to the Trans-Pacific woes as sa国际传媒 also failed to advance to the championship rounds of the Hong Kong Sevens and 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
sa国际传媒 won its first and only World Series tournament in the program鈥檚 history last year in Singapore.
The 11th-ranked Canadians began defence of their Singapore title in sparkling style, with a 26-14 victory over fourth-ranked Argentina as Isaac Kaay of the University of Victoria Vikes scored two tries. But that was followed by a 26-12 loss to 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist and top-ranked South Africa.
It came down to the swing game against No. 12 Samoa, but the Pacific islanders sneaked a tight 22-19 win over the Canadians despite a try from Duncan鈥檚 Pat Kay.
Former University of Victoria Vikes great Nathan Hirayama, promoted to captain of sa国际传媒, was good on six conversions.
sa国际传媒 was set to take on France in the consolation round on Saturday night.
Dressed for sa国际传媒 were Hirayama, Cowichan High graduate Kay, UVic鈥檚 Kaay, Mike Fuailefau and Luke McCloskey of Victoria, both SMUS-grads, Luke Bradley of Port Alberni, former Vikes player Lucas Hammond, Andrew Coe and CFL player Tevaughn Campbell, both of Toronto, Justin Douglas of Abbotsford, Admir Cejvanovic of Burnaby Lake, Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont., and Harry Jones.
sa国际传媒 was missing one of its best players in the injured Connor Braid of Victoria.
The 2018 World Series concludes in June with the London and Paris sevens events.
鈥淥ne thing we鈥檝e been struggling with this year is limiting our mistakes,鈥� Hirayama said.
鈥淵ou see that the best teams on the circuit make less mistakes.鈥�
There is no Singapore event in women鈥檚 sevens.
The Canadian team has returned to Langford from its disastrous trans-Pacific trip in which it placed fourth and out of the medals in the Gold聽Coast Commonwealth Games before failing to聽advance to the championship round of the Japan聽Sevens, which is the first time that has happened to sa国际传媒 in a women鈥檚 World Series tournament.
There will be no shortage of motivation for the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian team at home on May 12 and 13 in the sa国际传媒 Sevens at Westhills Stadium.
