Canadian rugby 7s women advance to semifinals at HSBC SVNS World Championship
Canada finishes 2nd in Pool A, will face unbeaten Australia on Sunday
The Canadian women's rugby sevens team advanced to the semifinals of the HSBC SVNS World Championship after winning two of three matches Saturday in Carson, Calif.
The final event of the season sees the top eight men's and women's sides from the top-tier HSBC SVNS compete in the winner-take-all world championship at Dignity Health Sports Park, which will host rugby sevens at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Canada, fourth after the first six events of the season, defeated No. 5 Japan 26-0 and No. 8 Great Britain 26-17 before falling 41-5 to No. 1 New Zealand.
Canada, which finished second in Pool A, will face unbeaten Australia in one semifinal Sunday while New Zealand takes on the sixth-ranked U.S. in the other.
New Zealand and No. 2 Australia have gone a combined 10-0-0 against Canada in dominating the circuit this season.
In the first year of an Olympic quadrennial, the Canadian women have improved as the season wore on, with coach Jocelyn Barrieau blooding a stream of new talent while players cycle between the sevens and 15s sides.
The Canadian women finished eighth to open the current season in Dubai, before placing fifth in Cape Town, fourth in Perth and seventh in Vancouver, before placing third in both Hong Kong and Singapore.
New Zealand won tournaments in Cape Town, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore, while Australia triumphed in Dubai and Perth, Australia.
Asia Hogan-Rochester scored two tries and added three conversions in the win over Japan. Florence Symonds and Olivia Apps also scored tries.
Hogan-Rochester, Symonds, Apps and Charity Williams had the tries in the Great Britain win, with Hogan-Rochester booting three conversions.
Scoring in style? That's what Charity Williams does 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HSBCSVNS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HSBCSVNS</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HSBCSVNSLAX?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HSBCSVNSLAX</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/RugbyCanada?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RugbyCanada</a> <a href="https://t.co/ib1EWs5KKP">pic.twitter.com/ib1EWs5KKP</a>
—@SVNSSeriesCarissa Norsten had the lone try against New Zealand, which led 19-5 at the half before reeling off four straight tries.
Canada finished fourth in last season's finale in Madrid in June, beaten 26-14 by No. 1 New Zealand in the bronze-medal game.
Canadian men aiming for Division 2
While the top eight teams vie for the world championship, teams nine through 12 in the HSBC SVNS are facing the top four teams from the second-tier Challenger Series — including the Canadian men.
That was slated to be a promotion/relegation playoff. But World Rugby announced Thursday it was changing the season format to a three-tier setup next year, taking promotion and relegation off the table this weekend.
Instead, the best the Canadian men can do is make the new Division 2 next season, with a chance to then earn promotion to the revamped eight-team top tier.
The Canadian men went 1-1 Saturday, losing 24-17 to Uruguay before rebounding to beat Ireland 19-12. They wrap up Pool B play Sunday against Germany (1-1-0)
Ethan Turner accounted for Canada's points in the Uruguay loss with a converted try. Thomas Isherwood, Morgan Di Nardo and Kyle Tremblay scored tries in the Ireland win with Isherwood and Turner each adding a conversion.
