The big board reading: 鈥淭okyo 2020 Olympic Games: Qualified鈥� has been shipped to Westhills Stadium by World Rugby.
The question is, which national teams, in turn, will stand behind it today for pictures with arms raised in jubilation?
The first day of the sa国际传媒 Sevens, the fifth of six tournaments in the 2019 women鈥檚 World Series, was a cliffhanger when it finished on Saturday.
Host sa国际传媒 is second behind New Zealand in the overall World Series standings, out of which the top four teams at the end of the season will qualify directly for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, without having to go through regional qualifiers.
Two or three, or perhaps four teams, could clinch those Olympic spots today ahead of the final World Series tournament next month in Paris.
Could there be anything sweeter for the Langford-based host team than to assure an Olympic berth on its home Westhills turf in front of its own fans?
sa国际传媒 opened Saturday at 2-1 in pool play with a 38-7 victory over Brazil, after leading only 12-7 at the half, then broke open a 5-5 tie at the half with a 22-5 win over Ireland.
The Canadians, who won the Japan Sevens last month but who have never won their home tournament, concluded pool play with a 29-14 loss to defending Olympic champion Australia.
sa国际传媒 still advanced to the quarter-finals and will meet the United States today at 9:40 a.m.
The other quarter-finals are New Zealand vs. Spain at 9:18, England vs. France at 10:02 and Australia vs. Russia at 10:24.
The crowd of nearly 4,000 was loud and passionate and the Canadian players said they felt that.
鈥淚t was electrifying,鈥� said Canuck player Britt Benn.
鈥淚t touches us close to the heart. A lot of our mothers have flown out. It鈥檚 not easy being an elite athlete 鈥� you are away so much 鈥� and they have supported us in this incredible journey.鈥�
Karen Paquin, like Benn, was a part of sa国际传媒鈥檚 bronze-medallist team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and knows the stakes today as Tokyo 2020 looms. So does the knowledgeable crowd at Westhills.
鈥淭here is so much energy coming from the fans that you can definitely feel it,鈥� Paquin said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like the 13th member of our team [sevens rosters, including subs, number 12 for games]. You can feel that everybody is really behind us.鈥�
That was even so in the loss against the Aussies.
鈥淵ou could feel the energy, starting in the tunnel, and it was spectacular,鈥� said veteran Canadian player and Olympic bronze medallist Bianca Farella.
Canadian captain Ghislaine Landry concurred: 鈥淲hile waiting under the stands to come out, it was so loud and we could hear the fans stomping their feet.鈥�
About the loss to Australia, Farella said: 鈥淭hey are a top-quality team, as are we, and it comes down to the day.鈥�
Landry said it was the result of giving away 鈥渢oo many soft turnovers.鈥�
Not that the wins against Brazil and Ireland were strolls through Goldstream Park, either.
鈥淭here is not a bad team on that field. You have to fight through everything. There is nothing easy about it,鈥� Paquin said.
Today鈥檚 championship final takes place at 4:18 p.m.
CONVERTS: Premier John Horgan was in attendance Saturday. That prompted Langford Mayor Stew Young, when addressing the crowd on the PA system between games, to publicly urge the premier to facilitate the removal of the hydro pole on the north side of Westhills Stadium so construction of a grandstand on that side of the field can commence . . . The mayor wore a Don Cherry-ish bright red blazer imprinted with white Maple Leafs. 鈥淚 got it on Amazon and I鈥檒l use it a lot,鈥� said Young, referring to the number of Canadian Olympians who train in Langford across several sports.
