The Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 rugby sevens team has relied on the veteran caginess of Connor Braid of Victoria and captain and University of Victoria Vikes legend Nathan Hirayama in the early part of the 2018-19 World Series season.
Hirayama leads sa国际传媒 in scoring with 21 points while Braid has 20 after the first tournament of the season last weekend in Dubai, in which sa国际传媒 placed 11th.
The pair leads the Canadian team into the South Africa Sevens in Cape Town on Saturday, where the Canucks open pool play in the wee hours Pacific Time against Scotland, Australia and Wales.
Also named to the Canadian roster by head coach Damian McGrath is Luke McCloskey of Victoria, Patrick Kay of Duncan, Isaac Kaay of the UVic Vikes, Admir Cejvanovic of Burnaby Lake, Jake Thiel and Justin Douglas of Abbotsford, Adam Zaruba of North Vancouver, Andrew Coe and Josiah Morra of Toronto and Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont.
The top-four teams after the World Series season will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, so the Canadians will be looking for a better result in Cape Town to pick up qualification points.
The Canadian team must overcome the loss of eight pre-season training weeks at Westhills Stadium while 13 of the players boycotted camp in protest of proposed new funding and training systems installed by Rugby sa国际传媒. The players proceeded with the season under an agreement reached Nov. 1.
That鈥檚 why McGrath selected a veteran group for the Dubai and Cape Town season openers in the 10-event World Series.
鈥淚f we are lacking a bit in conditioning, we have the cohesion that comes with knowing each other so well,鈥� said Braid, a product of Oak Bay High and James Bay Athletic Association, before the team departed Langford.
The host South African Blitzboks will be wearing special jerseys to commemorate the centenary of Nelson Mandela鈥檚 birth. Hirayama took part in the captain鈥檚 picture Thursday, which was held on Robben Island, where Mandela was incarcerated and which is now a World Heritage Site.
The Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 team, meanwhile, is in second position in the standings after podium finishes in their first two World Series events in Denver and Dubai. The top four teams at the end of the six-tournament season will stamp their tickets to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
There is no women鈥檚 World Series event in Cape Town.
Both World Series will again feature sa国际传媒 Sevens tournaments, with the men鈥檚 March 9-10 at sa国际传媒 Place and the women鈥檚 May 11-12 at Westhills Stadium.
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