Canadian men's rugby sevens players talk importance of Vancouver stop to grow sport
Canada men's rugby sevens coach Sean White calls it a moment of realization for his players.
With the HSBC SVNS Series coming back to Vancouver in February this year, he said the stop is important to grow the sport and showcase to his players where they have come from.
Walking along the concourse of B.C. Place, meeting fans and having family cheer them on during the Vancouver Sevens stop brings home the impact they can have in growing the sport in Canada, White added.
“I really think that a huge part of what we do in Vancouver is to really ignite and inspire young athletes, whether that be from Canada or around the world,” he said. “Many of (these players) talk about how important is was to watch sevens in Vancouver.”
White said some of the team's players watched the first Vancouver Sevens tournament as youth or teenagers and have seen the tournament grow with their careers.
“You go from fans watching that tournament to interacting with the players to being one of those players,” White said.
“We talked about it last year when they walked through the concourse, shaking hands and taking photos with kids, that those are the memories that fans hold onto. I think that's the legacy we can leave behind the Vancouver Sevens.”
The men's team practised in North Vancouver, B.C., on Friday and will play next week in Perth, Australia for the third stop of the series.
Vancouver was confirmed as one of eight stops on the sevens circuit in July, having first been introduced as one for the men's game in 2016.
This year's iteration will feature both men's and women's competitions spread over three days.
There had been concerns that the popular stop wouldn't make the cut as World Rugby looked to streamline the tournament series.
“I think it's irreplaceable in terms of exciting a fan base that maybe hasn't reached rugby yet,” said White.
Phil Berna, who grew up in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood, said he wants it to become a marquee event for the city and for rugby fans.
“Its massive for exposure. Getting kids exposure to the game and hopefully increasing our numbers across the country is massive,” he said. “I know it's one of the main showcases Rugby Canada has to put on a show for fans. It's massive that we have it.”
Berna is playing in his ninth season with the team and is aiming to play in his 50th series stop in Vancouver.
Teammate Thomas Isherwood said the importance of playing in front of a hometown crowd can't be understated.
“Obviously, rugby is not Canada's biggest sport,” he said. “When you come to Vancouver Sevens, you see 30,000 people in the stands cheering Canada. To be a part of that is awesome, and you want all the kids to be a part of that and that's one way to build rugby in Canada.”
The Canadian men stand ninth in the HSBC standings after finishing 12th in Dubai and seventh in Cape Town, where they posted pool wins against New Zealand and Samoa and a final victory over France.
“It's been a better start to the year than we're used to,” Berna said.
White agreed with his veteran player, adding that his team is looking to grow through the season, culminating in Olympic qualifiers in June.
“We're still really hyper-focused on what we want to do and how we want to control the game,” he said. “Lots of it comes down to ball control, possession¼, we want to make sure we're building a product of rugby that players are proud to play and the fans are proud to watch.”
Canada's men have been drawn in Pool A with Argentina, South Africa and Spain for the Perth Sevens later this month.
The Canadian women have been drawn with Australia, Britain and South Africa in Pool A. They go to Perth fifth in the overall standings after placing fourth in Cape Town and sixth in the Series-opening stop in Dubai. Britain stands ninth and South Africa 11th.
Australia, which won the first two events, tops the women's table ahead of France and New Zealand which both made the podium in the opening tournaments.
France, Fiji, Brazil and Spain make up Pool B on the women's side while Pool C consists of Olympic champion New Zealand, the U.S., Ireland and Japan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6947028.1719779131!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canada Day is forecast to be rainy for many this year. Here's a look at weather and fireworks celebrations
Canada turns 157 years old this year, and several fireworks shows across the country are expected to paint the night skies in celebration. Here's a look at the forecast and fireworks celebrations across the country for Canada Day in 2024.
Gathered at Camp David, Biden's family tells him to stay in the race and keep fighting
U.S. President Joe Biden's family used a Sunday gathering at Camp David to urge him to stay in the race and keep fighting despite his dreadful debate performance.
B.C.'s Michael J. Fox joins Coldplay on stage at Glastonbury Festival
A crowd of around 100,000 people were treated to a surprise appearance from a B.C. star during Coldplay’s set at Glastonbury Festival in England this weekend.
Are you proud to be Canadian? Poll suggests that feeling is dwindling
A new poll suggests the vast majority of Canadians are proud of their home and native land, but our sense of national pride is lower than it was a few years ago.
WestJet calls on feds for ‘urgent clarity’ around strike after 800 flights cancelled
A strike by WestJet plane mechanics forced the airline to cancel hundreds more flights on Sunday, upending the plans of roughly 110,000 travellers over the Canada Day long weekend and prompting the carrier to demand action from the federal government.
Neighbour on the hook for $3,675 in damages due to ‘nuisance cedar’: B.C. tribunal
A B.C. man who reneged on a deal to split the cost of removing a tree with his next-door neighbour is now on the hook for the whole amount, B.C.’s civil resolution has ruled.
A study identified 6 types of depression. Here’s why that matters
Scientists may be a step closer to that reality, thanks to new research that has identified six subtypes — or 'biotypes' — of major depression via brain imaging combined with machine learning.
Russian state media claim Kanye West is visiting Moscow
Unconfirmed reports say American rapper and producer Kanye West is visiting Moscow. If true, it would make West the first major American celebrity to visit Moscow since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
RCMP says a police chase involving an RV in Lloydminster has resulted in multiple injuries
Several people were injured Saturday night after a man allegedly stole an occupied RV during a police chase at a campground in Lloydminster.