Canadian men post two wins, advance to Cup semifinals in Challenger rugby 7s series

Canada's Elias Hancock holds off Mexico's Cristopher Cole during men's semi-final rugby action at the Rugby Sevens Paris 2024 Olympic qualification event at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

CAPE TOWN — Canada posted two wins Saturday to advance to the Cup semifinals in the opening round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series.

The Canadian men blanked Madagascar 38-0 and Hong Kong 21-12 in World Rugby’s second-tier sevens competition. Canada will face Germany, also unbeaten, on Sunday.

Relegated from the top-tier HSBC SVNS last June, the Canadian men are looking to finish in the top four in the three-event Challenger Series. That will earn them a spot in a promotion/relegation tournament May 3-4 in Carson, Calif., where the top four teams from the Challenger Series and the bottom four from the HSBC SVNS will meet to decide four spots in next season’s HSBC SVNS field.

Cape Town is hosting the opening two rounds of the Challenger Series, with the second event March 7-8. The top eight teams will then compete in the Challenger Series finale in Krakow, Poland, in April.

Michael Laplaine, John Franklin, Alex Russell, Kalin Sager, Kyle Tremblay and Elias Hancock scored Canada’s tries against Madagascar with Ethan Turner kicking three conversions and Thomas Isherwood booting one. Canada led 10-0 at the half.

Hancock scored two tries with Isherwood scoring the other against Hong Kong. Isherwood converted all three tries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2025.

The Canadian Press