Argentina's Santiago Alvarez, left, and Marcos Moneta, right, tackle Canada's David Richard as Josiah Morra watches from behind during Vancouver Sevens rugby action, in Vancouver, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
VANCOUVER – Both the Canadian women’s and men’s rugby sevens team lost their opening matches at the HSBC SVNS stop at B.C. Place on Friday.
Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team fell to France 26-14 while the men lost 12-10 to Argentina.
The men’s side briefly took the lead courtesy of a try from Jack Carson, assisted by a behind-the-back pass from Vancouver native Phil Berna, but missed both conversion attempts on their tries.
The match marked Berna’s 50th rugby sevens tournament, with the Vancouver native speaking earlier in the week about how fortunate he feels
The women entered the tournament in sixth place, having lost in the quarterfinals of the Perth sevens series stop while the men sit in 11th.
The Canadian women’s squad are in Group C and face off against Great Britain later in the day, while the men’s team are in Group A and will take on Fiji near the end of the first day of the tournament.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2024.
