Athletes and fans only need look at what has transpired in Russia the past month in the soccer World Cup to be reminded of the emotive differences between donning national team and club jerseys.
The Langford-based Canadian men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 rugby sevens teams will play in their own World Cups next week at AT&T Park in San Francisco and held their send-off ceremony Thursday at Bear Mountain.
The World Cup tournaments for both men and women feature an unforgiving single-loss-knockout format. There is no group play.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 big pressure right from Day 1 and the first game [next Friday against Papua New Guinea],鈥� said St. Michaels University School graduate and Canadian men鈥檚 player Mike Fuailefau of Victoria.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 skate through on group points. It鈥檚 not an ideal format but it鈥檚 more prime time and easier to market and sell for TV [NBC will broadcast the World Cup in the U.S. and CBC on live streaming in sa国际传媒].鈥�
Canadian player Pat Kay of Duncan concurred.
鈥淚鈥檝e never experienced this format before. Every team will be feeling that pressure every game,鈥� said the Cowichan High product.
The Canadian women鈥檚 team, which includes Caroline Crossley of Victoria, will open against Brazil next Friday.
鈥淏ecause of the single-loss format, there鈥檚 added pressure for each game,鈥� said the Oak Bay High School graduate.
鈥淭he key is to have complete focus on each game.鈥�
Named to the world No. 9 Canadian men鈥檚 team are Fuailefau and fellow SMUS-grad Luke McCloskey and Oak Bay-product Connor Braid, all of Victoria, Pat Kay of Duncan, University of Victoria Vikes star Isaac Kaay, former UVic great Nathan Hirayama, Andrew Coe of Markham, Ont., Admir Cejvanovic of Burnaby Lake, Justin Douglas from Abbotsford, Lucan Hammond of Toronto, Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont., and captain Harry Jones of North Vancouver.
Joining Crossley on the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian women鈥檚 squad are Pam Buisa of the UVic Vikes, Kayla Moleschi of Williams Lake, Charity Williams of Toronto, Olivia Apps of Lindsay, Ont., Britt Benn of Napanee, Ont., Bianca Farella of Montreal, Julia Greenshields of Sarnia, Ont., Sara Kaljuvee of Ajax, Ont., Breanne Nicholas of Blenheim, Ont., Natasha Watcham-Roy of Gatineau, Que., and captain Ghislaine Landry of Toronto.
鈥淭he format is exciting. Every game is a final,鈥� said Landry, the all-time World Series leader in career points with 984.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a rocky year but belief is a big thing we still have. We鈥檝e learned a lot from this season, and that鈥檚 not a bad thing. We are building for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and are moving forward now.鈥�
The 2018 World Cup will feature the top 24 men鈥檚 and top 16 women鈥檚 teams in the world.
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