New sa国际传媒 captain Phil Berna, one of only three returnees in the Edmonton Sevens tournament today from sa国际传媒鈥檚 quarter-finalist team in the Tokyo Olympics, 颅listened and learned.
鈥淚 took a lot from their individual styles and picked the best pieces from all the former team leaders such as Harry Jones, Nathan Hirayama, John Moonlight and 颅Connor Braid,鈥� said Berna.
The cornerstones of the national team the past decade 鈥� Victoria鈥檚 Braid, UVic Vikes great Hirayama, Jones, Justin Douglas and Conor Trainor 鈥攔etired following the Olympics in Tokyo.
With the newly-minted captainship comes added responsibilities off the pitch for Berna.
鈥淭here are a few more interviews and photo opps than I鈥檓 used to,鈥� he said, by phone Friday from Edmonton.
The nine youth replacements on the national side 鈥� including Island players Jack Carson, Ciaran Breen, Brennig Prevost, Anton Ngongo and Matt Percillier 鈥� are getting their chance again this weekend at Commonwealth Stadium after sa国际传媒 placed sixth out of 12 teams last weekend in the first HSBC World Series Sevens tournament at sa国际传媒 Place.
Canadian Olympic team players Mike Fuailefau of Victoria, Pat Kay of Duncan, UVic Vikes alumnus Lucas Hammond, Matt Mullins and Theo Sauder have not retired but are sitting out the Edmonton and Vancouver tournaments because the Tokyo experience, an Olympics amid a pandemic, proved so draining.
That leaves only Berna, Jake Thiel of Victoria and Andrew Coe as the returnees from the Tokyo Olympic team.
鈥淭hese young guys getting their chance now are the new base of the program as we take our first couple of steps to Paris 2024 [next Summer Olympics],鈥� said Berna.
It鈥檚 best just to throw them into the fire, he added: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 tell them everything. You have to let the young guys learn for themselves.鈥�
As they did in pre-Tokyo scrimmages in Langford against the Olympic team.
鈥淲e were, of course, dialed-in ahead of the Olympics and it did not go well for the younger group. I鈥檓 sure it was a wake-up call for some of them,鈥� said Berna.
鈥淏ut they learned from the experience and the young guys brought a lot to the table last weekend at sa国际传媒 Place and really showed their development and emerging composure.鈥�
They will need to again in Edmonton, where sa国际传媒 opens today in group play against South Africa, Hong Kong and Mexico.
