VANCOUVER 鈥� When the national rugby sevens team normally steps off its Island training base to play, it鈥檚 from Westhills Stadium to foreign fields.
That changed Saturday with the inaugural sa国际传媒 Sevens just a ferry ride away at a sa国际传媒 Place Stadium, populated with more than 33,000 beer and corn-dog fuelled fans in all manner of creatively colourful regalia from numerous nations. This multi-hued tsunami, which crashes into the Olympics this summer at Rio, rolled into sa国际传媒 with its first men鈥檚 HSBC World Sevens Series event here.
Although the Langford-based Canadian team went 2-1 in pool play, only to be relegated to today鈥檚 consolation side on tiebreakers, there was little that could dampen the unabashed enthusiasm of a crowd dressed as everything from Mounties and lumberjacks to, well, you name it and there was somebody costumed in it.
鈥淭his was unbelievable. I have been waiting to play at home my entire career,鈥� said Canadian veteran Phil Mack of Victoria. 鈥淚t鈥檚 once-in-a-lifetime and we are relishing it.鈥�
But the cruel turn that denied sa国际传媒 a berth in the championship quarter-finals on point differential against Pool B opponents Australia and Wales, who were also 2-1 and advanced, while Russia went 0-3.
鈥淲e put so much work into this and we wanted so much more,鈥� said Mack, a graduate of Oak Bay High and the UVic Vikes.
Adam Zaruba scored a try and Nathan Hirayama converted on the last play as sa国际传媒 beat world No. 4 Australia 14-12, only the fourth time that has happened in 43 games between the nations, but Wales scored on the last play of the game to beat sa国际传媒 26-19. sa国际传媒 defeated Russia 29-12.
鈥淭wo wins should be enough to take you through. But it鈥檚 a game of tiny margins and huge heartbreaks,鈥� said Canadian coach Liam Middleton of Victoria. 鈥淲e played three good games today. Our players really represented their country proudly.鈥�
What makes this weekend particularly significant for the Canadian team is that 10 of the 12 players are from sa国际传媒: Mack, Sean White and Mike Fuailefau of Victoria; Pat Kay from Duncan; UVic Vikes grads Sean Duke and Hirayama; Admir Cejvanovic from Burnaby; Conor Trainor and Zaruba of Vancouver; and Harry Jones of West Vancouver. The two Ontario players even have strong Island ties as Lucas Hammond played for UVic and captain John Moonlight鈥檚 club is James Bay. 聽
鈥淭his has been an amazing experience,鈥� said Middleton, referring to the crowd support. 鈥淲e want to draw on this inspiration; and we want to inspire.鈥�
Everything this year for sa国际传媒 is geared to the last-chance Olympic qualifier for Rio from June 18-19 in Monaco, where the 12th and final berth into the 2016 Olympic Games will be decided. The Canadian bench boss believes Rio can be reached: 鈥淥ur guys have a lot of heart. We鈥檙e on the verge,鈥� said Middleton.
鈥淲e believe we can beat anybody,鈥� added Zaruba.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens continues this morning with the world 12th-ranked hosts in the consolation round. The championship game is at 6 p.m. The broadcast today is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on TSN 2.
The highly regarded Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 team, meanwhile, is No. 2 in the world and has qualified for the Rio Olympics and is poised to be a big story this summer. Canadian split-squads took part in an invitational women鈥檚 tournament this weekend with the Maple Leaf Reds beating the France Selects 17-5 in the final Saturday played in-between the men鈥檚 games at sa国际传媒 Place.
The women鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens is at Westhills Stadium on April 16-17. That鈥檚 a pitch with which the Canadians are highly familiar.
鈥淐entralization [in Langford] has been huge for us. Without it, we couldn鈥檛 compete with the top teams in the world,鈥� said Ghislaine Landry, who helped lead the Maple Leaf Reds on Saturday.
And about the question everybody increasingly asks of the Canadian women鈥檚 players?
鈥淭he Olympics are on everybody鈥檚 minds,鈥� admitted Landry. 鈥淏ut looking too far ahead is what gets you in trouble. It鈥檚 one game at a time. We play best when we stick to the process.鈥�
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