YORKTON - Canada's Women's Sevens Team is headed to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The team recently qualified with a lopsided 53-0 win over Mexico in the final of the 2023 Rugby Americas North Sevens.
“It definitely does feel like a relief,” offered team captain Olivia Apps in an interview with Yorkton This Week, adding qualifying takes some pressure “off my shoulders.”
With the United States already headed to Paris, Canada went into the Rugby Americas North Sevens expected to prevail.
“There was an expectation Canada should win,” said Apps.
But, being favoured brings its own pressures.
“In terms of pressure we talked about that going into the tournament,” said Apps who in September 2021, was named Captain of the Canada's Women's 7s national rugby team.
Apps said the discussion was about “enjoying the moment,” and remembering they had to operate as a cohesive collective to be successful.
“With 7s I think that team connection all the time is important,” she said, adding by staying connected on the field a team can generate “opportunities on the field.”
Those opportunities proved many on the first day of the event, when the Canadian women outscored their three opponents 194-0 at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C.
The games were never in doubt and Canada rolled over Mexico 82-0, topped St. Lucia 59-0, and Jamaica 53-0.
On day two Canada defeated St. Lucia 41-7, then qualified with Paris via a final game win 53-0 over Mexico.
With this win, Canada's Women's Sevens Team took the gold medal, becoming the first Canadian team (from a team sport) to qualify for Paris 2024.
Apps said the other teams were in tough against Canada.
“Those teams unfortunately don’t have the resources we have,” she said. “. . . We thought those teams might not be at our calibre.”
That said, Apps said you must respect an opponent, and play hard.
In that regard Apps added the team really needed the games to show they are playing their own game, adding at times the team has had a tendency to play to the level of teams they should be defeating.
With more opportunities to practice and play on the World Rugby Sevens series, Apps said Canada was a step ahead of the competition at the Paris qualifier.
“It really shows from a physical perspective,” she said.
Apps said the big wins are great, but now the team needs to build on that leading up to Paris, and that means finding consistency.
While noting “7s is a high risk, high reward,” game a team needs to stay balanced and not get to high, or low based on any one play in a game.
So what will it take for the team to be on the podium in Paris?
“For a starter we’re going to need to have a healthy squad,” said Apps.
Looking ahead to 2024, Apps noted there are a couple of extra events on the World Rugby Sevens series schedule.
“That will be really helpful to get more experience,” said Apps, adding experience is huge especially for younger players in terms of learning “to perform under pressure . . .
“The more games, the more opportunities, the better for us.”
Then it’s about team building, “with everybody buying into the work ethic.”
Canada's Men's Sevens Team will now look to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics through the Final Olympic Repechage Tournament (date and location still to be announced), following a 24-14 loss to the United States.
