The 10th edition of HSBC SVNS Vancouver delivered thrilling rugby action, with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team securing a strong seventh-place finish and the Men’s Sevens Team winning the invitational tournament dominantly.

Women’s Sevens Team Battles to Seventh Place Victory

Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team closed their HSBC SVNS Vancouver campaign with a 27-10 win over the United States in the seventh place play-off. Asia Hogan-Rochester opened scoring early, reaching over 200 career SVNS series points. Florence Symonds followed with a hat trick of tries, while Olivia Sarabura added her first-ever SVNS series try to seal the victory.

Canada faced tough competition throughout the tournament. They started strong against Australia with tries from Symonds and Alysha Corrigan, but a second-half surge saw Australia claim a 35-14 win. In the quarter-finals, New Zealand’s dominance led to a 34-12 defeat for Canada, setting up their final showdown against the USA.

Next up, Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team will compete at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens from March 28-30, 2025.

Men’s Sevens Team Wins Invitational Tournament

Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team showcased their firepower, claiming victory in the invitational tournament with two commanding performances. They overwhelmed Trinidad and Tobago 50-0, with seven different players contributing to the scoreboard. Jamie Armstrong and James Thiel led the way with two tries each, while Brenden Black added four conversions.

In their final match, Canada defeated Japan 51-12. Armstrong and Kal Sager were instrumental in securing the win, with Ethan Hager, Morgan Di Nardo, and Kyle Tremblay adding tries.

Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team will now travel to Cape Town for the first two rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger.

Team Rosters

Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team Roster:

• Breanne Nicholas (Blenheim, ON) – Kent Havoc RFC
• Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) – Markham Irish / UBC
• Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – UBC
• Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
• Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens
• Piper Logan (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Hornets / UBC
• Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB) – UVic / Loughborough Lightning
• Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens
• Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, SK) – Kirin RFC / UVic
• Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC
• Olivia Sarabura (Guelph, ON) – UBC
• Mahalia Robinson (Fulford, QC) – Town of Mount Royal RFC
• Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish

Note: Shalaya Valenzuela replaced Krissy Scurfield due to injury.

Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team Roster:

• Rhys James (Kelowna, BC) – UBC Okanagan / Pacific Pride
• James Thiel (Abbotsford, BC) – Abbotsford RFC / Pacific Pride
• Ethan Turner (Maple Ridge, BC) – Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
• Alex Russell (Bracebridge, ON) – McGill University
• Noah Bain (Abbotsford, BC) – UBCOB Ravens / New England Free Jacks
• Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Guelph University
• Ethan Hager (Brantford, ON) – Brantford Harlequins
• Morgan Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) – Toronto City Rugby / UVic
• Jamie Armstrong (Ottawa, ON) – Ottawa Irish / University of Ottawa
• Kyle Tremblay (White Rock, BC) – UBC Okanagan / Pacific Pride
• Thomas Isherwood (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions RFC
• Johnny Franklin (Bowen Island, BC) – Capilano RFC
• Kal Sager (Peterborough, ON) – Peterborough Pagans / Trent University
• Elias Hancock (Ottawa, ON) – Bytown Blues / University of Ottawa
• Ben Greenstein (Vancouver, BC) – UBCOB Ravens / Queen’s University
• Michael Laplaine (Montreal, QC) – TMR Rugby / Concordia University