Canada with embarrassing losses to Russia and the USA. Entire program is a joke, gutted by the Sevens program, and can only qualify for the World Cup in the repechage spot.
Glad I don’t pay RC dues anymore.
And I can’t recall with South Pacific nation they would have to get through to qualify that way (Western Samoa?) but it’s not happening. The loss to Russia is really just ridiculously bad.
And I can’t recall with South Pacific nation they would have to get through to qualify that way (Western Samoa?) but it’s not happening. The loss to Russia is really just ridiculously bad.
Russia is ranked 19th in the world compared to us at 22nd and dropping like a stone.
7’s has killed the 15’s program
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Russia is ranked 19th in the world compared to us at 22nd and dropping like a stone.
7’s has killed the 15’s program
Russia had never beaten us, and really never been close as far I can recall? Pretty sure when we played them in Calgary last summer or the one before we beat them pretty easily.
Russia had never beaten us, and really never been close as far I can recall? Pretty sure when we played them in Calgary last summer or the one before we beat them pretty easily.
That's my point.
Canada first played Russia in 2009 and in those 9 years Russia has gone one way and Canada the other.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
We have a new contender for the weakest red card in rugby history.
I have always argued rugby has the best officiating of any sport but lately I have not been so sure. It seems like the crackdown on dangerous play has swung too far.
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The masses of humanity have always had to surf.
Last edited by FireGilbert; 07-14-2018 at 05:45 AM.
The Rugby Sevens World Cup is on this weekend in San Francisco. Unlike the series, this has an elimination format.
The Canadian men's team is ranked 10th and will play 24th ranked PNG in a qualifier. If they win the 9th ranked Argentinians await in the round of 16. My prediction: 13th place.
The Canadian women's team is ranked 3rd and will play 14th ranked Brazil in the round of 16. My prediction: Bronze medal.
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The masses of humanity have always had to surf.
Rugby Canada's plan to have one centralized pool of men's players rather than having separate 15s and sevens training squads is off to a rocky start.
A source said 13 of the sevens players have boycotted training in suburban Victoria and secured legal representation out of concerns their pay is being reduced and their side of the sport is being minimized.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Well RC made this bed so they can sleep in it, but at least they came to their senses even if it's a few years too late.
A sport just being in the Olympics doesn't translate into a big funding windfall, which I know some people thought was coming ('will we see any of this Own the Podium money?' Ugh). It's great to increase exposure to the game and get more people picking up a rugby ball. But until the big rugby nations can make it as lucrative as the 15s game, it will always be playing second fiddle.
The World Cup needs to be the priority, because that's where the rankings will rise and where World Rugby money comes from. Better the 15s do, more money to Rugby Canada, more money available to Sevens, then maybe they'll see a trickle of some Sport Canada money (but they tend not to care if you're not a medal hopeful, so better give the money to the women anyway).
That is a kick in the nuts for the Sevens team. I thought I heard something that if they finished top 10 last season there would be no funding cuts but it looks like Rugby Canada just found another way to make the cuts.
Overall it is probably a good decision though. Canada does not have the depth or funding to keep separate programs and this should stop the downward spiral of the 15s team. Also, the 7s team is the oldest on tour playing a slower paced style and this is a good opportunity to start the rebuild with faster and younger players.
My worry though is that these cuts are too drastic too quickly and could devastate the 7s team. 7s is quickly becoming very competitive and wide spread and a major drop off in the Canadian team could see them at the bottom of the table. If the team was ever relegated that would be the death of 7s in Canada and a former top 10 team would be a footnote in history.
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The masses of humanity have always had to surf.
Karl Fix, a Regina rugby supporter, has withdrawn his financial contribution to the Canadian under-20 team out of concern over Rugby Canada’s handling of its current labour dispute with the Canadian sevens players.
Fix, a former Rugby Canada board member and longtime rugby player, coach and backer, says he has “significant concerns with Rugby Canada’s haphazard execution” of its decision to centralize sevens and 15s players in one training squad.
The sevens players, at odds with Rugby Canada over the status of the sevens game and unhappy at the financial terms offered, have refused to sign new contracts and are boycotting training in Langford, B.C.
Fix says Rugby Canada’s recent actions have prompted him to decided to withdraw from the Canada U20 Men’s National Rugby Team Support Group. Fix, along with Bill Webb, David Robertson, former national team coach Pat Parfrey, Andrew Purdey and Mike Holmes, helped fund several training camps for the under-20 side around the recent World Rugby Under 20 Trophy tournament.
The goal was to find people to pay for the costs of the camp so the players didn’t have to and to ensure the team had extended training time.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Canada still has a shot at RWC 2019. They’re in the repurchase tournament and kicked off against Kenya today with a decisive 65-19 victory. In the next two weeks they play Germany and Hong Kong, and they could advance to the World Cup next year in Japan.
Making the World Cup is worth about $10m to Rugby Canada, so it’s a big deal. That said, they would be in a pool with New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Namibia if they qualify so things aren’t exactly optimistic at that stage!
Canada in a good spot in the repechage tournament. Beat Germany with a bonus point, which means Hong Kong would have to beat them by 57 points (with a bonus point) in order to knock Canada out.