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There is no shame in losing to the defending Olympic champions and the flashiest and most dazzling team in the history of rugby sevens.
The Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 team did well to advance to the quarter-finals of sevens鈥� longest-running and most legendary tournament.
But the Canadians met their match in a 29-12 loss to 2016 Rio Olympics gold-medallist Fiji before 40,000 fans today in the Hong Kong Sevens.
The doughty Canadians had the Fijians deadlocked 12-12 at the half.
But some head-swivelling passes, that would have impressed even Steve Nash, blew the game open for the Fijians in the second half.
sa国际传媒 had defeated Kenya 17-14 and France 28-14 before losing 26-7 to Olympic bronze-medallist South Africa in pool play to advance to the championship quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive World Series tournament.
Former University of Victoria Vikes star Nathan Hirayama surpassed Phil Mack of Victoria to become sa国际传媒鈥檚 all-time leading scorer on the HSBC World Series. James Bay star Mack, a graduate of Oak Bay High and the UVic Vikes, had 973 career points. Hirayama now has 984 after Saturday鈥檚 play.
On the Canadian team are Hirayama, current UVic Vikes Isaac Kaay, Lucas Hammond and Port Alberni鈥檚 Luke Bradley, Victoria players Mike Fuailefau and Luke McCloskey, Pat Kay from Duncan, John Moonlight of James Bay, Jared and Justin Douglas of Abbotsford, Harry Jones of Vancouver, Josiah Morra of Toronto, Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont., and Saskatchewan Roughriders player Tevaughn Campbell.
sa国际传媒 was set to meet Argentina for fifth place this morning in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the Olympic bronze-medallist Canadian women鈥檚 team is preparing in Langford and at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence for the Japan Sevens from April 22-23 in Kitakyushu, ahead of hosting the sa国际传媒 Sevens from May 27-28 at Westhills Stadium.
