There probably isn鈥檛 a rugby player in sa国际传媒 who doesn鈥檛 want this as a career-topper for Phil Mack.
The 30-year-old Victoria player, who has signalled his retirement at the end of the year, has given his heart and soul to the national sevens team. Now his chance to end his career as an Olympian comes down to one final tournament.
鈥淭he Olympics are every athlete鈥檚 dream,鈥� Mack said before the Canadian team broke camp at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
They have been for Mack since it was announced rugby sevens would be going into the Games, starting at Rio 2016.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a matter of wanting to be there,鈥� he said.
鈥淓very athlete wants to be there. It鈥檚 a matter of executing.鈥�
sa国际传媒鈥檚 opportunity to do that comes at the last-chance qualifier for Rio 2016 when it opens play Saturday morning in Monaco at 1:55 a.m. PT in a pool that includes Germany, Sri Lanka and Uruguay. TSN will live stream all pool games on TSN.ca and TSN GO and then show sa国际传媒鈥檚 games on tape delay at 4 p.m. PT on TSN 2.
The playoff rounds are in the wee hours Sunday morning beginning at 1:10 a.m. PT on TSN 4.
The tournament champion will earn the 12th and final berth into the Rio Olympics. The favourites among the 16 teams in the last-chance qualifier, also known as the repechage, are world No. 9 Samoa, No. 13 sa国际传媒 and No. 14 Russia.
sa国际传媒 won its last game against Samoa but the Pacific Islanders hold a 4-2 games lead over sa国际传媒 in their six meetings this year in World Series tournaments.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crunch time,鈥� said Mack, a James Bay Athletic Association standout and graduate of Oak Bay High Barbs and the University of Victoria Vikes.
鈥淵ou have to perform. But we have faith we will. We are going in with a sense of self-belief.鈥�
Everybody knows the stakes.
鈥淭his is the big one,鈥� said Canadian player Mike Fuailefau of Victoria.
鈥淪o much effort and sacrifice has gone into this, but we could get something huge back in return,鈥� said the St. Michaels University School graduate.
The value of an Olympic berth is incalculable in terms of the intangibles.
鈥淚t will be huge for rugby in sa国际传媒 if we qualify,鈥� said Langford-based Canadian head coach Liam Middleton.
鈥淚ndividually for the players, it could be a life-changing opportunity.鈥�
sa国际传媒 had to go through the repechage after losing the final of the North American and Caribbean regional qualifier 21-5 last year to the emerging U.S.
