Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Unbeaten Canadian rugby teams closer to qualifying for Paris Olympics

Team Canada's Krissy Scurfield runs upfield against Team Mexico during women's rugby action at the Rugby Sevens Paris 2024 Olympic qualification event at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., on Saturday, August 19, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito) Team Canada's Krissy Scurfield runs upfield against Team Mexico during women's rugby action at the Rugby Sevens Paris 2024 Olympic qualification event at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., on Saturday, August 19, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito)
Share
LANGFORD, B.C. -

Canada's women sevens rugby squad moved into Sunday's semifinal, and the men set a path to get there, as both teams won all their games Saturday at the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Olympic qualifying tournament.

The Canadian women crushed Mexico 82-0, to punctuate lopsided victories over St. Lucia (59-0) and Jamaica (53-0), and outscored their opponents by a combined 194-0, in front of 3,352 mostly Canada-supporting fans.

"We don't just want to look at the score line," said women's coach Jack Hanratty following the win over Jamaica. "We want to look at every moment of the game to see where we can do better, we want to look at every moment in the game."

They certainly did that, scoring pretty much at will against a Mexican squad that infrequently had possession of the ball inside or outside its own end.

But this wasn't a matter of trying to drive up the score, Hanratty said. Moreso, it was a matter of chasing a perfect performance.

"There is a big element of the unknown for us, so for us, we're trying to concentrate on ourselves," he said.

The men won both their games, albeit not as convincingly, but still advanced to Sunday's semifinal, having won their pool. Canada will play the winner of the Mexico-Barbados quarterfinal.

After battering Barbados 38-0 in their opening match, the Canadians found themselves in tough with a pesky Jamaican squad that trailed by only two with 2:13 remaining in the second of two seven-minute halves.

Brock Webster's late try secured Canada a 21-12 victory.

"Yes, it was a lot closer than what we were looking for, but hats off to Jamaica, they put an incredible performance together," said Alex Russell, who did most of the legwork on Webster's late insurance run down the wing.

"We've just got to learn from our sort of mistakes and move on to the next game."

The Canadian men were hoping to build some momentum following their win against Barbados, in full knowledge they'll have to beat the U.S. to win the tournament and guarantee an invitation to Paris.

"I think we were just trying to be a little too cute with the ball," captain Phil Berna said.

St. Vincent & The Grenadines pulled out of the tournament late last week, forcing some schedule juggling that reshaped the women's afternoon into a four-team round-robin, with Jamaica, St. Lucia and Mexico joining Canada.

The Canadian women won't have to contend with the powerful U.S. team that is already Paris-bound, after its top-four finish in this season's HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Canada's No, 14-ranked men, however, will have to get past the 10th-ranked U.S., which took a step toward booking a ticket in Sunday's semifinal with lopsided (62-0 and 40-0) victories over Bermuda and Mexico, respectively.

The last teams standing Sunday qualify for next summer's Paris Games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2023.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected