Most people think of a certain winter sport when Canada and Russia pair up. But it was pretty good on grass, too, Saturday as upstart Russia gave Canada all it could handle in the quarter-finals of the Japan Sevens women’s rugby tournament in Kitakyushu.
The Langford-based Canadian squad prevailed for a 17-14 victory to advance to the semifinals today against the winner of the New Zealand versus U.S. quarter-final that had not been played before press time.
It was a triumphant return to the Canadian lineup from injury for Karen Paquin, from the Castaway Wanderers club of Oak Bay. Paquin, a native of Quebec City, scored three tries in the victory over Russia. This is the 31-year-old’s first action with the first team since being part of Canada’s bronze-medal performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Emerging 21-year-old Caroline Crossley of Victoria, another Castaway Wanderers player, was a factor defensively for Canada.
“Caroline has not reached anywhere near her potential, yet,” said Canadian head coach John Tait of Mill Bay.
“She has height, power and size. Her ceiling is so high.”
Canada went 3-0 in the preliminary pool by beating Spain 26-17, China 42-19 and defending Olympic-champion Australia 17-14 with Paquin scoring tries against both the Chinese and Australians.
There’s much at stake.
Canada can make a big move toward returning to Japan next year by continuing to do well this weekend. The Japan Sevens is the fourth of six 2018-19 World Series tournaments, out of which the top-four teams will qualify directly for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Canada went into Kitakyushu tied for third place with Australia behind the second-place U.S. and season standings-leader New Zealand. Canada could be poised to clinch an Olympic berth in front of its home-country fans in the Canada Sevens on May 11-12 at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
If Canada finishes out of the top four at season’s end, it would have to win the Americas and Caribbean regional Olympic qualifying tournament July 6-7 in George Town, Cayman Islands, in order to get to Tokyo 2020.
But the Canadians have made clear their goal is to get to Tokyo through the top-four World Series process.
Canada batted off the rust better than most teams in Kitakyushu. The men play 10 World Series tournaments in a season, but the women have only six, and haven’t played since the Sydney Sevens on Feb. 1-3.
The Canadian women spent the 21Ú2 month break training at Westhills Stadium in preparation for the Japan Sevens.
