The hosting part was a success, even if the host team wasn鈥檛.
A record 77,096 colourfully clad fans went through the turnstiles over two days of the sa国际传媒 Sevens rugby tournament at sa国际传媒 Place.
The Langford-based Canadian team, however, could muster only a 2-3-1 record in a bitterly disappointing 14th-place finish, topped with a 21-15 loss Sunday to Samoa, following a 19-0 Canadian loss against Scotland and 31-19 victory over France.
鈥淕utted,鈥� is how Canadian player Connor Braid of Victoria described his feelings after the last-play loss to the Americans on the first day that swung the whole tournament awry for sa国际传媒.
The Oak Bay High grad couldn鈥檛 have been any less gutted on Sunday as sa国际传媒 followed its 1-1-1 opening-pool record with a 1-2 outing on the second day.
鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly disappointed with the whole thing [Canadian results], really,鈥� said Canadian head coach Damian McGrath.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mental issues for us. Every game that did not go our way has been of our making. Our mistakes cause [opposition] tries. USA and Kenya were in one of the semifinal games. These are teams we can and have beaten. It shows that the difference between success and failure is close . . . and at the moment we are pushing ourselves to the negative side of it.鈥�
In a weekend highlight for sa国际传媒, former University of Victoria Vikes great Nathan Hirayama became the fifth-leading all-time scorer on the World Series circuit.
Island players performing for sa国际传媒 were Braid and fellow-Victorians Luke McCloskey and Mike Fuailefau, both St. Michaels University School grads, former Vikes Hirayama and Lucas Hammond with current UVic star Isaac Kaay, Duncan鈥檚 Pat Kay out of Cowichan Secondary, and John Moonlight from James Bay Athletic Association.
Despite the results on the pitch, the Canadian players and coach were impressed by the raucous atmosphere in the building.
鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely awesome,鈥� said McGrath.
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 play to your best in conditions like that, then when can you? The crowd was our eighth man and played a big role for us. I鈥檓 disappointed we could not give them the result they wanted.鈥�
Braid concurred: 鈥淚t鈥檚 unreal. It gets you hyped up and pumped.鈥�
Canadian captain Harry Jones said the crowd stayed with sa国际传媒.
鈥淚t was unbelievable. We hoped to impress a little bit more [but] they stuck behind us the entire way through the ups and downs,鈥� he said.
Playing at home was especially meaningful for the sa国际传媒 players.
鈥淭his tournament is definitely exciting, especially for the players from sa国际传媒, but all the Canadian players,鈥� said Duncan's Kay.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a highlight we have circled in red on the calendar,鈥� added Hirayama, during training.
Even with the large number of Island fans who came over on the ferries, there were almost as many Fiji flags than even Maple Leafs waving as thousands of fans of Fijian descent cheered on their beloved defending Rio Olympic champions.
They weren鈥檛 disappointed as Fiji defeated Kenya 31-12 in the final Sunday to win the sa国际传媒 Sevens. The Rio Olympic bronze-medallist South Africans defeated the Americans 29-7 in the bronze-medal game. The U.S. was coming off a home-field championship last week in the Las Vegas Sevens.
The women鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens, hosted by the 2016 Olympic bronze-medallist Canadian team, will run May 12-13 at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
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