RUGBY PLAYERS ENDING BOYCOTT
Rugby Canada and its disgruntled sevens players have come to an agreement, ending a player boycott. Thirteen players, including co-captains Nate Hirayama and Harry Jones, have boycotted training since their contracts ended Aug. 31, unhappy at the new offer and training conditions. The players, who had been practising by themselves, returned to training Thursday in Langford, B.C. Time is of the essence. The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series opens Nov. 30 in Dubai. Coach Damian McGrath is back in charge of the squad. The sides had been at odds since Rugby Canada announced in August it would have one centralized player pool rather than separate sevens and 15s squads. Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen said while the agreement isn’t fundamentally different with the centralized player pool still in effect, issues such as appearance fees have been renegotiated.