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The Langford-based Canadian team had a respectable ending in Southern California before heading back north for its big home-country moment this week at B.C. Place.
Canada went 1-2 in pool play Saturday in the Los Angeles Sevens and 2-1 in the consolation round Sunday to finish 3-3 for 10th place in the World Series tournament.
The Canadians opened the final day with victories over Scotland and Spain, both by 24-7 scorelines, before dropping a 21-19 decision to Argentina on the final play of the game.
Former University of Victoria Vikes star and Canadian co-captain Nathan Hirayama deftly read an Argentine pass attempt at midfield to intercept and score a try he converted himself to pull Canada into a 19-14 lead in its final game. But the Pumas had a last gasp remaining in them for victory at the death.
Mike Fuailefau had scored an earlier try for Canada against Argentina while fellow-Victorian Connor Braid scored a try against Spain.
Canada beat Kenya 24-0 in pool play but fell 17-12 to Ireland on the last play of the game and 33-5 to 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist and current world No. 2 South Africa.
Hirayama and Harry Jones of North Vancouver were the Canadian co-captains for the Los Angeles Sevens. Also on the Canadian squad were Island veterans Braid and Fuailefau, both of Victoria, Pat Kay of Duncan, Isaac Kaay of the UVic Vikes and former Vikes player Lucas Hammond. They were joined by Justin Douglas, Conor Trainor, Theo Sauder, David Richard, Phil Berna and Jake Thiel.
The South Africans, known as the Blitzboks, were exactly that in rallying from a 19-7 half-time deficit in the championship final to beat defending Olympic-champion Fiji 29-24 in overtime at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The teams then packed their kits for the trip to B.C. Place and the Canada Sevens on Saturday and Sunday.
The Canadian men’s and women’s teams, both based in Langford, have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian women’s team is tied for second with Australia in the World Series season standings while the Canadian men are 10th.
The Canada Sevens stops on the World Series are stand alones. After the men at B.C. Place on Saturday and Sunday, the women’s Canada Sevens will be hosted May 2-3 at Westhills Stadium in Langford for the sixth consecutive year. Tickets went on sale last week at canadasevens.com.
Past women’s Canada Sevens tournaments have attracted crowds of 3,000 each day, but there are now 6,000 seats available at the expanded Westhills facility, so attendance records are expected to be set for the event.
The Canada Sevens men’s tournament meanwhile, has become as much a cultural happening as a sporting one and attracts nearly 40,000 people per day who fill the lower bowl of B.C. Place in all manner of colourful to downright outlandish attire.
The Canada Sevens will be the sixth of 10 World Series women’s tournaments and the sixth of 12 for the men.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com