February 24, 2024 Vancouver, BC. (ISN) – The Canadian host sevens side kicked off their 2024 Vancouver Sevens bid Friday, but it was less than a warm welcome from their guests as both the Canadian men’s and women’s teams would fight a tough, yet entertaining, first-day draw.
Pitted against higher ranked teams in this year’s HSBC World Sevens tour to open the Vancouver leg of the 2024 World Rugby Sevens tour, Canada was spared no quarter in opening pool play Friday. Three of four games Canada Sevens would draw in Friday’s pool play would be against teams that sit atop or near the top of the 2024 World Rugby Sevens ladder midway through the season.
Canada Sevens Men
The men’s sevens side close out the day with a pair of losses that could have easily been a pair of upset wins if it was not for a couple of costly, last-minute turnovers to result in the losses.
Canada would start the day facing number one-ranked Argentina in a mid-day, lunch box game, dropping a 12-10 decision in what was otherwise a determined effort by the Canadians. After Argentina would dot down the opening try, Canada would take a 10-7 lead on try by Alex Russell, and the go ahead by Jack Carson with 2 minutes remaining in the game. Pressing for a third try in the game, Canada would turn the ball over on a costly penalty allowing Argentina to score in the final minute of the game to steal the win.
The Canadian men would later face second-place Fiji to close out the night, and once again, despite some grit and spirited play, Canada would suffer a heartbreaking 22-12 loss to finish the day 0-2. Canada would threaten once again late in the game with ball in hand metres from the go-ahead try, however Fiji with a brilliant defensive play, would force Canada’s Jack Carson out of bounds with the ball in hand for the line out. The ever-dangerous Fiji would find room on the far wing to work the ball down field and score to end Canada’s hope of an upset win. Max Stewart and Thomas Isherwood would provide the trys for. Stewart would also contribute with a convert.
Canada Sevens Women
The Canadian women would also be measured on their first game of the weekend Friday at BC Place. The women’s sevens team would draw France who currently holds the number three spot in the 2024 World Sevens Women’s standings
For the Canada, it was a matter of unfinished tackles and ball turnovers as the third seed France would dominate the first half of the game, posting a three-try lead while keeping the sixth-place Canadian women from finding the try line. Canada would shake off their opening-game jitters, finding pace in the second half on a pair of trys by Chloe Daniels at the 9-minute mark and Charity Williams would sprint for another in the 12th minute to make a game of it, but France would come away with the 26-14 victory over the host side.
After the slow start, the Canadian women’s team would dominate their second game of pool play with a statement game against eight-ranked Great Britain, thrashing the Brits 38-0 with a game of possession and speed, capitalizing off a barrage of British turnovers. Canada’s Krissy Scurfield would open the scoring in match with a mid-field scamper to the try-line, soon followed by teammate Charity Williams, scoring a pair of trys in short succession with a show of world rugby class speed to run away from the competition. For Williams, that was her third try of the day.
Florence Symonds would close out the half with a try of her own, making the match an afterthought for the host team. Asia Hogan-Rochester and Piper Logan would add their own scoring touch in the second half to seal the game win and go to 1-1 on the opening day of pool play.
Saturday, both Canadian teams resume play with match ups against Spain to complete pool play. For the women’s squad, a victory would solidify a third-place spot in their pool looking forward to the round robin draw. For the men, a victory would solve a third-place in Pool A for the Canada. A loss to the Spaniards would leave a third-place finish in speculation, leaving the final standing up to point differential and a bonus point in hand which Canada owns.
Game times are 11:43am and 2:11pm respectively.
