Canada Sevens is back! After 18 months off, the 2021 World Rugby Sevens Series is returning to Vancouver, Canada. It will feature 12 men’s teams and four women’s teams, all competing against one another at BC Place. It’s one of two sevens series events in the 2021 season, and both are coming off an exciting tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. So, here is what to expect this weekend in Vancouver.
Canada Sevens: Pool A
Teams in Pool A include South Africa, Kenya, Spain, and Mexico. The Blitzboks are coming off a disappointing finish at the 2020 Olympics, where they lost to Argentina 19-14 in the quarterfinals. They have only won the Canada Sevens, winning the 2019 edition against France. South Africa is going to be a tough out for anyone this weekend.
Joining the Blitzboks in Pool A is Kenya, The Shujaa lost all of their pool stage matches in the 2020 Olympics by two tries or less, so they’re out for revenge. This team’s strength is their quickness, which will match up well against Spain and Mexico. Certainly, Kenya will be a fun team to watch and a dark horse to get a medal.
Spain finished eighth in last year’s Canada Sevens, but their highest finish is 11th in the sevens series. Their win against New Zealand in 2019 is one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sevens. Mexico is making its first appearance in the sevens series since Hong Kong 2016. They competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic repechage tournament earlier this year, where they finished last with Jamaica.
Pool B
Participants in Pool B include Great Britain, Ireland, Hong Kong, and Jamaica. Team GB is a combination of England, Scotland, and Wales players, including star winger Dan Norton. Norton is the all-time try scorer in rugby sevens and is one of the fastest players in the sport. He is going to be a key part of Great Britain’s potential success this weekend.
Ireland is coming off a 10th-place at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Their stars, Terry Kennedy and Jordan Conroy were slow to start, and as a result, Ireland was slow to start. Teams have to play fast and strong throughout the tournament, which will be the key for the Irish in Vancouver. Their match against Great Britain on Saturday night will be a good test.
Hong Kong is known more for their sevens tournament than their sevens team. However, they won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and are better than some people think. For Jamaica, their best year in sevens was 2018 when they took part in Rugby World Cup Sevens and Commonwealth Games. Although they finished last in both events, they will use this opportunity to improve their sevens future.
Pool C
This is a fun pool. The highlight of Pool C is the USA-Canada match scheduled on Saturday night. It won’t be the same with some of Canada’s stars retiring, including Nathan Hirayama and Connor Braid. However, it’s still going to be a fantastic contest.
The team I am looking forward to watching this weekend is the US. When healthy, they are difficult to shut down. Between Perry Baker and Carlin Isles, the Americans have the speed to burn. After blowing a 21-point halftime lead to Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Olympics, the US is hungry for success. Historically, they’ve never done well in Vancouver, so this is a great chance to change those odds.
Chile is a minor sevens team with some international. They finished 17th at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens with wins over Uganda and Hong Kong. As for Germany, they have had some success in Europe. They won the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix Series in 2019, earning more points than France, Ireland, and Spain. Germany is likely going to finish last in this pool, but they can shock people.
Canada Sevens: Fast Four
Fast Four is the name of the women’s tournament that will also take place at BC Place this weekend. Only four teams will be participating, including Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, and the US. The favorite to perform best is Great Britain, who made the semifinals at Tokyo 2020. They shut down the US in the quarterfinals and looked strong through the whole tournament. The player to know is Jasmine Joyce, originally from Wales, as she had nine tries for GB at Tokyo 2020.
Canada is looking for a better performance after missing the knockout rounds in Tokyo. Olivia Apps is the name to watch this weekend on the Canadian squad. She is one of the few players with Olympics experience playing this weekend playing for her country. And, at 22 years old, she is one of the youngest players starting this weekend.
Similarly, the US is out to show that they are better than the team that played in Tokyo. After scoring an average of 18.5 points per game at the Olympics, look for the Americans to improve offensively. For Mexico, this is an opportunity to gain international experience as they grow their sevens team. Vancouver is one of the most popular sevens spots, and I can’t wait to see how Mexico prepares for this weekend.
Canada Sevens Mailbag Questions
With Nathan Hirayama retiring, who is going to replace him? (From Malcolm)
It is a good question and, in short, no one. No one person will be replacing Hirayama this weekend, as I expect Head Coach Henry Paul to play around with his squad before cementing a replacement. However, names to know this weekend include Brennig Prevost and Alex Russell. Prevost, a former Castaway Wanderer from Victoria, will be wearing Hiryama’s number nine jersey this weekend, likely indicating some role replacement.