Most people think of a certain winter sport when sa国际传媒 and Russia pair up. But it was pretty good on grass, too, Saturday as upstart Russia gave sa国际传媒 all it could handle in the quarter-finals of the Japan Sevens women鈥檚 rugby tournament in Kitakyushu.
The Langford-based Canadian squad prevailed for a 17-14 victory to advance to the semifinals today against the winner of the New Zealand versus U.S. quarter-final that had not been played before press time.
It was a triumphant return to the Canadian lineup from injury for Karen Paquin, from the Castaway Wanderers club of Oak Bay. Paquin, a native of Quebec City, scored three tries in the victory over Russia. This is the 31-year-old鈥檚 first action with the first team since being part of sa国际传媒鈥檚 bronze-medal performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Emerging 21-year-old Caroline Crossley of Victoria, another Castaway Wanderers player, was a factor defensively for sa国际传媒.
鈥淐aroline has not reached anywhere near her potential, yet,鈥� said Canadian head coach John Tait of Mill Bay.
鈥淪he has height, power and size. Her ceiling is so high.鈥�
sa国际传媒 went 3-0 in the preliminary pool by beating Spain 26-17, China 42-19 and defending Olympic-champion Australia 17-14 with Paquin scoring tries against both the Chinese and Australians.
There鈥檚 much at stake.
sa国际传媒 can make a big move toward returning to Japan next year by continuing to do well this weekend. The Japan Sevens is the fourth of six 2018-19 World Series tournaments, out of which the top-four teams will qualify directly for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
sa国际传媒 went into Kitakyushu tied for third place with Australia behind the second-place U.S. and season standings-leader New Zealand. sa国际传媒 could be poised to clinch an Olympic berth in front of its home-country fans in the sa国际传媒 Sevens on May 11-12 at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
If sa国际传媒 finishes out of the top four at season鈥檚 end, it would have to win the Americas and Caribbean regional Olympic qualifying tournament July 6-7 in George Town, Cayman Islands, in order to get to Tokyo 2020.
But the Canadians have made clear their goal is to get to Tokyo through the top-four World Series process.
sa国际传媒 batted off the rust better than most teams in Kitakyushu. The men play 10 World Series tournaments in a season, but the women have only six, and haven鈥檛 played since the Sydney Sevens on Feb. 1-3.
The Canadian women spent the 21脷2 month break training at Westhills Stadium in preparation for the Japan Sevens.
