Moonlight to surpass Mack in rugby sevens caps
Ten years separate John Moonlight from Caroline Crossley. That’s not much in life, but it’s a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon in sports age.
The 29-year-old Moonlight will become Canada’s all-time men’s caps leader Friday at the Las Vegas Sevens with 53, surpassing Phil Mack of Victoria’s 52.
“I played with [Mack] a long time and he probably would have had 30 more caps if not for all his injuries,” Moonlight said.
“My 50th cap will still be the most special for me.”
Meanwhile, rising 19-year-old Caroline Crossley of Victoria will be on the roster when the Canadian women’s rugby sevens team opens pool play Friday in the Las Vegas Sevens against Russia, Argentina and France.
Both the Canadian men’s and women’s teams are based in Langford. But while the celebrated women’s squad is the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, the men failed to qualify for the Rio Games and were rewarded by having their funding cut to zero for 2017-18 by the federal Own the Podium program. The men received $850,000 from OTP in 2016-17.
It points out the flaws in the funding formula. Depth of field regarding opposition doesn’t appear to be given its due consideration. Nor does the notion of how national teams are supposed to bounce back if they are so harshly punished for an unsuccessful stretch.
“It’s a tough thing, but that’s the way it is in high-performance sport. We have to put up the results over this quadrennial to show we are worthy of getting that funding back. Our journey is not over,” Moonlight said.
Certainly not the team’s. But personally is another matter. Age and life catches up with every athlete.
Having completed firefighting school, Moonlight is uncertain whether Tokyo 2020 is in his future.
“I have not ruled out Tokyo,” said the James Bay Athletic Association product, who turns 30 in July.
“I have travelled the world playing sports. Not many people get to do that. But I’m thinking about my future. I have to set myself up for life after rugby. A lot can change in four years, especially regarding your body.”
As perhaps a sign of the changing times, former Canadian captain Moonlight is now co-captain with Harry Jones and Nathan Hirayama.
“This does not change my role or how I approach the game,” Moonlight said.
“I still go out and lead by example.”
It will be like a University of Victoria reunion in Las Vegas with Vikes players or alumni Luke Bradley of Port Alberni, Pat Kay of Duncan, Lucas Hammond, Hirayama and Isaac Kay named to the Canadian squad. Also named were St. Michaels University School grads and Castaway Wanderers Mike Fuailefau and Luke McCloskey.
The world No. 12 Canadian side begins play Friday in a pool with Wales, France and Olympic bronze medallist South Africa. The NBC-broadcast tournament runs though Sunday.
Both the 10-event men’s and six-event women’s 2016-17 World Series seasons feature Canadian stops. The men’s Canada Sevens is up next, March 11-12 at B.C. Place, with more than 33,000 fans to be in attendance each day. The women’s Canada Sevens is May 27-28 at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
Meanwhile, in the men’s XVs America's Championship, world No. 20 Canada (1-3) will be looking to close out the tournament on a winning note Friday against winless No. 33 Brazil in Sao Paulo.
Canada played two of its games in Langford, losing to Argentina and beating Chile.