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The already-qualified Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 rugby team has the podium in its sights this summer at the 2016 Rio Olympics. With women鈥檚 sevens opening the Rio Games over the first three days of competition, the players know that represents a boffo opportunity to showcase the sport to the Canadian public.
But it was a podium too far on Saturday in a former Summer Games city as sa国际传媒 placed fourth in the USA Sevens at Atlanta. It was the prelude to the World Series coming to the Island for the sa国际传媒 Sevens next Saturday and Sunday at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
sa国际传媒 was 3-0 in pool play on Friday with victories over Russia, Ireland and France and began Saturday on a promising note with a 29-0 blanking of Fiji in the championship quarter-finals.
But then the wheels came off as sa国际传媒 fell to World Series leaders Australia 26-14 in the semifinals before losing by another 26-14 count to England in the bronze-medal game.
鈥淒efinitely frustrated,鈥� Canadian head coach John Tait said in a statement, ruing 鈥渢oo many unforced errors and defensive breakdowns. We definitely felt we could win this tournament after Day 1. We will refocus and look forward to competing at home next week.鈥�
The explosively fast Ghislaine Landry had some good runs for sa国际传媒 over the two days.
sa国际传媒 finished 4-2 in Atlanta, but dropped from second to third place in the world rankings.
As boisterous as it is colourful and beer-drenched, the Hong Kong Sevens is the grand-daddy event of men鈥檚 sevens and should be on anyone鈥檚 sporting bucket list.
The Langford-based Canadian team lost its opener but gave Fiji, the most fabled team in men鈥檚 sevens, all it could handle in a 19-17 defeat. That was followed Saturday by a 24-10 Canadian loss to Wales before sa国际传媒 regrouped for a 31-14 victory over minnow South Korea.
That set up a Bowl quarter-final date with Samoa, with the South Pacific side taking a 19-0 lead en route to a 19-10 victory over sa国际传媒. That result will be closely parsed because the last-chance Olympic qualifying tournament, set for June 18-19 in Monaco for the 12th and final berth into Rio 2016, is projected to come down to a sa国际传媒-Samoa final. The Samoans hold a 3-1 advantage over sa国际传媒 in their four meetings this year.
sa国际传媒 concludes play today on the Shield side of the draw.
On the 13-man sa国际传媒 squad in Hong Kong are St. Michaels University School graduate Mike Fuailefau, Oak Bay High grad Sean White, Cowichan High grad Pat Kay, debutante and Alberni Secondary product Luke Bradley, UVic Vikes grads Nathan Hirayama and Lucas Hammond, John Moonlight from James Bay, Phil Berna of UBC, Admir Cejvanovic of Burnaby Lake, Justin Douglas of Abbotsford, Harry Jones of West Vancouver, Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont., and Conor Trainor of Vancouver.
