The Langford-based Canadian national team made it to the championship quarter-finals of the New Zealand Sevens men鈥檚 rugby tournament Saturday in Hamilton, but no further.
Playing the defending 2016 Rio Olympic champions will do that to you as famously fleet-footed Fiji defeated sa国际传媒 33-7, with Connor Braid of Victoria scoring sa国际传媒鈥檚 lone try and former University of Victoria star Nathan Hirayama converting.
That sent sa国际传媒 to the fifth-sixth semifinal, where it lost 28-19 to Samoa, sending the Canucks to the seven-eight final, where it was set to meet an opponent to be determined.
sa国际传媒 defeated Japan 24-0 to conclude pool play early Saturday after opening with a 12-12 tie against Spain and before being blown out 49-10 by the host All-Blacks.
Islanders on the Canadian team include Mike Fuailefau and fellow-SMUS graduate Luke McCloskey and Oak Bay High and James Bay product Braid, all from Victoria, Pat Kay of Duncan and Isaac Kaay from the University of Victoria Vikes.
Hirayama, who is captaining sa国际传媒, scored a try and Kay and Braid passed off for key assists that led to tries by Justin Douglas and Adam Zaruba in the victory over Japan that propelled sa国际传媒 into the quarter-finals.
The top-four teams in the 2019 World Series will advance directly to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
The Canadian squad, which missed two months of pre-season training at Westhills Stadium in Langford due to a labour dispute between the players and Rugby sa国际传媒 management, came into the New Zealand Sevens in 12th place after the first two of 10 World Series events held in Dubai and South Africa.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens, which annually sells out the lower bowl of sa国际传媒 Place, is March 9-10.
Meanwhile, the Canadian women鈥檚 sevens team, also based in Langford, is preparing for its World Series tournament beginning Friday in Sydney, Australia. It is the third of sixth women鈥檚 World Series tournaments, out of which the top-four nations will advance directly to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. sa国际传媒, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, is second in the standings after the first two World Series events.
sa国际传媒 is in a pool with Ireland, Fiji and Russia for the Sydney tournament. Ghislaine Landry, the all-time World Series scoring leader, will again captain the Canadian team with a roster that includes Caroline Crossley of Victoria.
鈥淭his year, with the Olympic qualification process, we made the goal simple: We鈥檝e got to be top four in every tournament,鈥� said Canadian head coach John Tait of Mill Bay.
The sa国际传媒 Sevens, the fifth of sixth World Series tournaments, will take place May 11-12 at a revamped 6,500-seat Westhills Stadium in Langford.
