For the first time ever, Canada is the cup champion at the HSBC World Rugby Seven Series, and the team had a significant Abbotsford flavour.
Abbotsford Rugby Football Club members Jared and Justin Douglas, along with team manager Brian Hunter from Abbotsford, were key parts of the team to finally take home the cup.
The event, which ran April 15 and 16 in Singapore, saw Canada post two wins and a loss in day one. The club earned wins over Russia(28-15) and Hong Kong (34-0), while falling to Fiji (35-7).
Canada caught fire on day two, beating three of the top five teams at the event to win the cup. It was just the second time ever that Canada had reached the cup, the last time occurring in 2014 when they lost to New Zealand in Glasgow.
Day two saw Canada defeat the New Zealand All-Blacks 26-14, down England 17-5 in the semi-final and then earn the cup with a 26-19 win over the USA. Justin scored a big try in the semi-final win over England.
Canada head coach Damian McGrath said the win was an important moment for Canadian rugby.
“It’s incredible,” he told reporters. “Last night we were beaten by Fiji so we had a little bit of soul-searching and then we came back and beat some of the best teams in the world. This will show that Canadian rugby has so much to offer.”
Paris is the next stop in the series, with games running May 13 and 14. For more results, visit singapore7s.sg.