From Westhills Stadium to Russia with love. Not to mention with a load of talent, too.
The Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 rugby sevens team showed why it is favoured for the podium at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics by winning the silver medal Sunday at the World Cup in Moscow.
sa国际传媒 defeated the host Russians 15-12 in the quarter-finals and Spain 10-5 in the semifinals 鈥� both tense affairs 鈥� before falling 29-12 to New Zealand in the gold-medal final at 89,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium.
The Canadian men鈥檚 team players, also based in Langford, were disheartened in Moscow by not making the championship round of the World Cup despite a 2-1 record in pool play. They took it out on their consolation side opponents Sunday by winning the Plate to finish a highly credible fifth overall.
sa国际传媒 ran the table Sunday, defeating Tonga 26-0, Scotland 21-7 and finally Samoa 19-12 in the Plate final as Nathan Hirayama of the University of Victoria Vikes scored three tries.
The Canadian men won five straight games, including beating Georgia 26-19 and edging the U.S. 15-14 Saturday in pool play. But its only blemish 鈥� the World Cup-opening 31-12 loss to eventual gold-medallist New Zealand 鈥� cost the Canucks a place in the championship round.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud,鈥� men鈥檚 head coach Geraint John said in a statement.
鈥淭o be able to say that the only game we lost was to the winners is pleasing. Unfortunately, in the men鈥檚 group section, the teams are also ranked on points scored for and against, which I believe is unfair.鈥�
The Canadian men鈥檚 team includes Nanyak Dala, Ciaran Hearn and Mike Fuailefau from the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay, Sean Duke, Phil Mack and Hirayama of the UVic Vikes with Thyssen De Goede and John Moonlight from the James Bay Athletic Association of Victoria.
The World Cup was a key showcase for a sport preparing to make its Summer Games debut in 2016. That the Canuck teams were both top-five, with the women capturing the silver medal, appears to bode well along the road to Rio.
