The City of Angels proved decidedly un-angelic early Saturday for the Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 rugby team with two losses to start the Los Angeles Sevens.
But sa国际传媒 finally felt a little of the Southern California warmth with a 24-0 victory over Kenya on three Justin Douglas tries to close the day at 2-1.
sa国际传媒 dropped its opener 17-12 to Ireland on the last play of the game. Theo Sauder and David Richard staked sa国际传媒 to a 12-7 half-time lead before the Irish rallied and kept the Canadians off the board in the second half. That proved the pivotal game on which the day hinged for the Canadians.
sa国际传媒, as expected, lost its second pool match 33-5 to 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist and current world No. 2 South Africa. Conor Trainor opened scoring for sa国际传媒 against the Blitzboks and the Canucks were in it at half-time trailing 14-5. But the 鈥橞oks bolted in the second half to run away with the match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The Canadian men, who entered the tournament tied for ninth with Ireland in the World Series season standings, will play in the consolation round today.
University of Victoria Vikes legend Nathan Hirayama and Harry Jones of North Vancouver are the Canadian co-captains for the Los Angeles Sevens. Also on the Canadian squad in Carson are Island veterans Connor Braid and Mike Fuailefau, both of Victoria, Pat Kay of Duncan, Isaac Kaay of the UVic Vikes and former Vikes player Lucas Hammond. They are joined by Douglas, Trainor, Sauder, Richard, Phil Berna and Jake Thiel.
The Canadian men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams, both based in Langford, have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. So, this World Series season is basically a grand dress-rehearsal for the Summer Games.
The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian women鈥檚 team is tied for second with Australia in the World Series season standings.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens stops on the World Series are next Saturday and Sunday for the men at sa国际传媒 Place and May 2-3 for the women at Westhills Stadium in the sixth consecutive year for the women鈥檚 tournament in Langford. Tickets went on sale Friday at canadasevens.com.
Past women鈥檚 sa国际传媒 Sevens tournaments have attracted crowds of 3,000 each day, but there are now 6,000 seats available at the expanded Westhills Stadium, so attendance records are expected to be set for the event.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens men鈥檚 tournament meanwhile, has become as much a cultural happening as a sporting one and attracts nearly 40,000 people per day who fill the lower bowl of sa国际传媒 Place in all manner of costume and song.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens will be the sixth of 10 World Series women鈥檚 tournaments and the sixth of 12 for the men.
