Canadian women look to build on season-best finish in Perth at HSBC SVNS Vancouver

Canada's women's sevens rugby team, fresh off a season-best fourth-place in Perth, Australia, will open against Brazil at next month's HSBC SVNS Vancouver.

After facing Brazil and Spain on Feb. 21, Canada will close Pool A play against series leader Australia on Feb. 22 with the cup quarterfinals to follow. The fourth stop of the HSBC SVNS season, at B.C. Place Stadium, will wrap up Feb. 23 with the cup semifinals and final.

The Canadian women finished third last year in Vancouver.

Canada's men, relegated from rugby sevens top tier last June, will also be in action in Vancouver in an invitational event featuring Japan and Trinidad and Tobago. That event is separate from the 12-team men's HSBC SVNS field in Vancouver.

The Canadian women's performance in Perth moved them up two places to fifth in the HSBC SVNS overall standings after three events.

Unbeaten in pool play and a 27-5 quarterfinal winner over Brazil in Perth, Canada's winning run ended in a 24-17 semifinal loss to eventual champion Australia. France then defeated Canada 14-12 to finish third for a third tournament in a row. 

Australia, beaten 21-12 by Canada in the semifinal of the Paris Olympics, has now downed the Canadians in each of the three events to date this season — also winning 39-0 in the Dubai quarterfinal and 26-10 in pool play in Cape Town — to improve its career HSBC SVNS record against the Canadians to 26-14-1. 

Australia held on to edge series leader New Zealand 28-26 in the Perth final.

The Australian women. who also won in Dubai, are two points behind series leader New Zealand, which won in Cape Town and was runner-up in Dubai. The French remain third with Brazil ninth and Spain 12th.

Argentina lifted the men's trophy in Perth with a dominant 41-5 victory over Australia. Fiji, Argentina and Spain each have 48 points atop the men's standings with South Africa fourth on 44.

Canada arrived in Perth seventh in the overall standings after finishing eighth in Dubai and fifth in Cape Town. The Canadian women went 1-4-0 in Dubai and 3-1-0 in Cape Town. 

After Vancouver, the seven-stop circuit moves to Hong Kong and Singapore before wrapping up May 3-4 in Carson, Calif.

The Singapore event will crown the SVNS season winners before the top eight men’s and women’s teams take part in the winner-takes-all world championship at California’s Dignity Health Sports Park.

The Canadian women finished fifth in the standings last season before losing 26-14 to New Zealand in June in Madrid in the third-place game. Australia won the women’s title, defeating France 26-7.

Canada’s men dropped off the circuit last summer after being beaten 22-14 by Spain in a relegation decider in Madrid. They are looking to earn a chance back into the top tier via World Rugby's Challenger Series.

Canada's Schedule at HSBC Vancouver SVNS

(x- denotes invitational men's tournament separate from HSBC SVNS competition)

Friday, Feb. 21 (all times ET)

4:30 p.m. — x-Canada men vs. Trinidad and Tobago. 

6:28 p.m. — Canada women vs. Brazil.

9:57 p.m. — x-Canada men vs. Japan.

11:58 p.m. — Canada women vs. Spain.

Saturday, Feb. 22

6:08 p.m. — Canada women vs. Australia.

6:30 p.m. — x-Canada men vs. Trinidad and Tobago. 

9:19 p.m. — x-Canada men vs. Japan.

Sunday, Feb. 23

7:05 p.m. — Men’s third-place playoff. 

7:33 p.m. — Women's third-place playoff. 

8:05 p.m. — Men's cup final.

8:41 p.m. — Women's cup final.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2025