Canada set to defend at Singapore Sevens
If it were a glossy travel brochure, it would be headlined the Grand Trans-Pacific Tour featuring exotic stops in Hong Kong, Singapore and Gold Coast.
This, however, is not for leisure. There have been plenty of hard knocks taken and bruises absorbed over the past few weeks as the Langford-based Canadian men’s rugby sevens team failed to advance to the championship rounds of two of its biggest events of the year — the Hong Kong Sevens and 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
Now the Singapore Sevens loom like a rainbow beacon. Canada won its first and only World Series tournament last year in Singapore. So for the only time in its history, Canada goes into a men’s World Series event as the defending champion.
“The guys were talking about last year, it was a special weekend for Canadian rugby, and being in this hotel and environment brings back lots of good memories,” said Canadian star Nathan Hirayama, in his pre-tournament captain’s interview in Singapore.
The 11th-ranked Canadians begin defence of their Singapore title tonight against fourth-ranked Argentina at 8:44 p.m. PT before concluding pool play in the early hours Saturday morning PT against 2016 Rio Olympics bronzemedallist and top-ranked South Africa and No. 12 Samoa.
Canada has made some notable roster moves going into Singapore. Luke Bradley of Port Alberni and former University of Victoria Vikes great Hirayama are at the opposite edges of their careers. Both have been elevated for the Singapore Sevens, Hirayama to captain and Bradley back into the lineup. While there’s a big gap between those two promotions, it’s all relative in sport depending on where you are in your career.
Bradley is at the point where he is happy just to draw back in. Hirayama’s elevation to captain is significant. Harry Jones and John Moonlight have been the most recent Canadian captains.
Also dressing for Canada in Singapore are Mike Fuailefau and Luke McCloskey of Victoria, both SMUS-grads, Cowichan High grad Pat Kay of Duncan, Isaac Kaay of the UVic Vikes and former Vikes stalwart Lucas Hammond. Rounding out the roster are Andrew Coe and CFL player Tevaughn Campbell, both of Toronto, Justin Douglas of Abbotsford, Admir Cejvanovic of Burnaby Lake, Matt Mullins of Belleville, Ont., and Jones.
Out are the versatile Connor Braid of Victoria, whose ankle is injured after having seen a lot of wear this year in both XVs World Cup qualifying and in the sevens World Series, and the recently retired former Canadian captain Moonlight.
The goal for Canada in Singapore, and June’s concluding World Series stops in London and Paris, is to move up and crack the world top-10 ranking.
“One thing we’ve been struggling with this year is limiting our mistakes,” said Hirayama.
“You see that the best teams on the circuit make less mistakes. That is one thing we are really focusing on. We just have to express ourselves and have a good time. Things went our way [last year in Singapore] and we got on a roll. We would love a result this weekend. It’s something that would mean a lot to us.”
There is no Singapore event in women’s sevens. The Canadian team has returned to Langford from its underachieving transPacific excursion in which it placed fourth and off the podium in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games before bottoming out in the Japan Sevens by not advancing to the medal round of a World Series tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
The 2016 Rio Olympics bronzemedallist Canadian side will be looking to make amends at home May 12-13 in the Canada Sevens at Westhills Stadium.