This weekend, Canadas Sevens returns to BC Place for the first time in seven months. The Flyin’ Fijians enter the tournament hot as they won last weekend’s event in Singapore. However, Canada has been somewhat of a second home for South Africa as they’ve won three of the last four tournaments north of the 49th parallel. With that covered, here are three things to watch in Vancouver this weekend.
Canada Sevens Will Be Near Full Capacity
If you talk to any player on the sevens circuit, at some point they’ll tell you how great the Canada Sevens are. Between the fans, the city, and the stadium, Canada is a favorite among almost all the players. Now, with restrictions lifted in BC, many are expecting the atmosphere to be similar to before the pandemic.
Before 2021, attendance at the Canada Sevens totaled over 70,00 for both days in six events. We may see these figures in Vancouver this weekend. The number to know is 39,533 as that is the record for the largest crowd in Canadian rugby history. We’ll see if that record is broken this weekend as fans get ready for a weekend of drinking, costumes, and rugby.
Regardless of attendance, the crowd will be loud and proud this weekend. We’ll also see the return of Fijian fans to Vancouver, who typically represent 25-30% of the crowd. So yeah, it’s going to be rowdy at BC Place.
Return of the Island Nations to Canada Sevens
In case you missed it, last week marked the return of New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa to the sevens circuit. We discussed the All Blacks before the Singapore Sevens but they’ll all be competing in Vancouver this weekend. It’s the first time all three teams will compete in Canada since 2020.
I mentioned this earlier but Fiji won gold in last week’s tournament. They squeezed past Australia in the semis before taking down New Zealand in the finals to win. After taking the gold at Tokyo 2020, it’s not surprising seeing the Flying Fijians just step in and finish first. They are just that good.
For New Zealand and Samoa, the goal is still to finish first or get a podium at the very least. The All Black 7’s reminded everyone how talented they are by taking second last week but have had mixed results in Vancouver. They’ve finished first twice at the Canada Sevens but have missed the top three thrice. Samoa’s best finish in Canada came at the inaugural tournament in 2016 when they took home the Plate.
Can Canada Put On a Show For The Home Crowd?
I probably sound like a broken record at this point but being home is a great chance for Canada to gain momentum in the sevens series. Talking with Canada’s captain Phil Berna on Wednesday, he said the team is trying to be realistic knowing they have a tough group.
“A top-eight finish would be nice. We’d love to be playing for the cup. Give the home fans something to cheer for, you know”, said Berna.
With no more Nathan Hirayama and Connor Braid around to lead the way, this is a great opportunity for younger players to showcase their talents. Names to know include David Richard and Lachlan Kratz, both of which are 21 and 22 years old respectively. Richard is back for the second-straight week after missing over two years while Kratz is one of a handful of players on the team with MLR experience.
Certainly, it won’t be a cakewalk for the Canadians as they share a pool with the Blitzboks and Aussies. But if they can beat Spain in the nightcap and upset one of South Africa or Australia, this weekend will be a success. And it will give the fans something to cheer about.
Conclusion
There are plenty of storylines heading into this weekend. Between a packed stadium, the return of island nations, and Canada trying to play spoiler, fans should be excited about what’s to come. It’s all part of what makes Canada Sevens the best sporting event in Vancouver. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.