(Via World Rugby)
Canada captain Harry Jones has laid down a gauntlet to the 76,000 or so rugby fans in Vancouver who are planning to head along to the HSBC Canada Sevens this weekend – if you provide the team with even louder and more enthusiastic support than you did last year, the team promises to lift their game also.
Jones’ side won the Bowl (now called Challenge Trophy) event in 2016, beating France 19-17 in a thrilling finish at BC Place. And while the partisan and proudly Canadian crowd nearly raised the roof on the enclosed stadium that day, Jones reckons they can shout even louder this time around.
“I want to say a big thank you the fans coming out this weekend,” he said. “The boys are super-excited and ready for you guys to fire us up for the games. It’s a pretty special opportunity for all of us. There are quite a few home town boys here on our team as well but for rugby in Canada it means so much that we’ve got 70,000-odd people coming out for a two-day tournament in Canada, which isn’t known as a rugby country, it’s amazing for us to be able to go out and play in front of that kind crowd.
“I’d love for them to have the same enthusiasm as they had last year. It might be hard to beat because they put on a good show but it sounds like they know a little bit more about the costumes this year so I think they’re going to have a lot of fun.
“Maybe I’ll throw out a challenge to the fans. If they can beat their performance last year then we’ll do the same with ours.”
Meanwhile, head coach Damian McGrath has the luxury of picking from a full-strength squad this weekend and he knows the difference big home support could have on his side.
“I don’t think you should underestimate just what a big impression a crowd like that has on a home team,” he said. “If the crowd can be as good this year as they were in 2016 then I think it will really lift the players again. The crowd are our eighth man on the field and I know they’ll make a difference when we need them.
“I don’t think you can put a value on what it means to rugby people here to have this in Vancouver. The whole city is putting its weight behind it and that includes the people and the media who are so supportive of it. The stadium is lit up, there are flags everywhere, it gets newspaper inches which rugby rarely does, it’s on TV and it’s a massive boost to the game in Canada.”
It’s a theme carried through by the tournament organisers as well and they are expecting a record crowd for a rugby event in Canada and a 26 per cent growth rate from last year’s inaugural tournament.
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Chief Executive of Canada Sevens Bill Cooper said: “We expect this year to deliver unparalleled atmosphere as sevens fever takes hold. Against this backdrop we salute our partners and fans for their enthusiastic embrace of unique and celebratory culture of sevens, and for the critical role they are playing in bringing that energy to life.”
A visibly enthusiastic and excited Chief Executive and President of HSBC Bank Canada Sandra Stuart said the atmosphere created by the supporters as well as the character and passion of the players were part of the reason HSBC was attracted to the sport.
She said: “Rugby resonates with HSBC’s values and global operational footprint: it is growing in popularity in markets where we as a bank are growing, and its values of courage, respect and teamwork align well with our own organisational values.”
The first of 45 matches involving the 16 teams from around the world kicks off at 09:30 (local time) on 11-12 March with the final taking place at 18:19 on Sunday.
