The final game didn鈥檛 end the way they wanted, but the Canadian women鈥檚 rugby team still managed its best result of the season Sunday at the HSBC Canada Sevens tournament.
The women erased a 10-point deficit to tie the match but then gave up a late try to lose 22-17 to Fiji.
The loss left Canada in sixth place. The women鈥檚 previous best was eighth place in Cape Town, South Africa.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of good things to take away from this,鈥� said Keyara Wardley of Vulcan, Alta., whose try in the 12th minute had the Canadian fans on their feet screaming.
Head coach Jack Hanratty said a couple of mistakes cost his team the win.
鈥淲e had the momentum, we鈥檝e just got to stick with it,鈥� Hanratty said.
The men, who staged an upset over Australia Friday but missed advancing to the quarterfinals due to a points differential, lost 31-14 to South Africa in their only game Sunday and finished in a tie for 15th place.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bummer to not come away with points,鈥� said captain Phil Berna.
The poor finish was a blow to a men鈥檚 team that sits 14th in the World Rugby Sevens Series standings with 19 points and is fighting to avoid relegation.
The New Zealand women won their fourth consecutive tournament with a 19-12 victory over Australia. The win also secured the Black Ferns a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The U.S. defeated France 19-7 for bronze.
New Zealand lead the women鈥檚 standings with 98 points, followed by Australia with 84, U.S. 82 and France 68.
On the men鈥檚 side, Argentina defeated France 33-12 to win their second tournament of the season. Australia beat Ireland 20-5 for the bronze.
New Zealand leads the men鈥檚 standings with 107 points, followed by Argentina and South Africa with 86, and Fiji with 84.
The top four men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams at the end of the season will qualify automatically for the Paris Olympics.
Against Fiji, co-captain Olivia Apps of Lindsay, Ont., scored a try and kicked a convert. Bianca Farella of Montreal scored Canada鈥檚 other try.
Farella is playing in her 44th sevens tournament, tying her with Australia鈥檚 Sharni Williams for most on the all-time list.
The women began the day with Fancy Bermudez scoring a pair of tries in a 24-12 win over Ireland.
The women fell behind 7-0 but responded with 24 straight points. The game turned when prop Olivia De Couvreur of Ottawa delivered a crunching hit early in the first half.
鈥淭hat was a big monument piece,鈥� said Bermudez. 鈥淚t really got our energy back up.鈥�
Apps scored a try and kicked two converts. Wardley also scored a try.
The result moved the Canadian women up two places in the overall standings to eighth place with 26 points.
The season has been a learning experience for a team that has 14 players making their international debut.
鈥淲e said we鈥檙e very young and inexperienced,鈥� said Hanratty. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to rely on that line.
鈥淲e want to be known for our results. We learned a lot this week. Now it鈥檚 about having consistency.鈥�
Organizers say the three-day event attracted 66,736 fans. The crowds at BC Place Stadium were decked out in elaborate and colourful costumes. There were furry onesies and bright wigs. Some pink pigs with floppy ears sat near a flock of bees. A group of abominable snowmen waved a Canadian flag.
Lachlan Kratz of Victoria scored a try and kicked two converts in the men鈥檚 loss to South Africa. Jake Thiel of Abbotsford, B.C., added a try.
The men and women鈥檚 teams had a roller-coaster ride during the tournament and the men probably deserved a better fate. The women took advantage of a smaller field and a points differential system that worked in their favour.
This year鈥檚 tournament was expanded to include a full slate of 12 women鈥檚 teams competing at the same time as the 16 men鈥檚 teams.
The Canadian women lost their opening games 28-7 to Ireland and 17- 12 to the United States, then rebounded to beat Brazil 31-7.
They finished with a 1-2 record in Pool C but moved on because of their point differential. The top two teams from the three women鈥檚 pools advanced to the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-place teams.
The women then showed a determined effort in a 10-5 loss to New Zealand.
The men looked terrible in a 35-5 loss to Ireland in their opening game then played one of their best games of the tournament to beat Australia 29-12. They beat Chile 35-7 Saturday morning.
Despite a 2-1 record, they failed to advance to the medal round. The top two teams of the four men鈥檚 pools moved on. The men鈥檚 point differential left them third.
They lost 19-14 to Spain in the ninth-place quarterfinal.
Men鈥檚 interim coach Sean White saw positives in his team鈥檚 performance.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e happy, but we can certainly be proud,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e shown what we鈥檙e capable of, it鈥檚 just about that repeat performance.鈥�
Berna said the team is like a jigsaw puzzle that hasn鈥檛 been put together yet.
鈥淲e believe we have all the parts,鈥� said the Vancouver native. 鈥淲e just have to put it together on a consistent basis.鈥�
The World Series is reducing the number of men鈥檚 core teams for the 2024 season from 16 to 12, to equal the number of women鈥檚 teams and align with the Olympic competition structure.
The men need to gain enough points in the remaining three tournaments to climb into 11th place or better and avoid playing in a relegation playoff.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 hide from the fact there鈥檚 relegation,鈥� said White. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to put the best performance in for each game and see where we get to.鈥�
鈥擩im Morris, The Canadian Press
