In terms of my sport viewing, as I suppose most things in life, I have eclectic tastes.
I could not imagine watching hockey and nothing but hockey. In fact, playoffs in April and May lose my interest rather quickly. This year, if Canadian teams all miss the playoffs, which is a possibility, I won’t likely watch 10-minutes of NHL playoffs.
Interesting, it is in April when a new North American professional rugby league is supposed to launch. I do note as supposed to because to-date only teams in Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego have been announced, so the timeframe seems rather tight to get three more teams in place, players signed, and fans attracted.
But, I am truly hopeful they are successful because I love rugby, and there have been suggestions after an inaugural year with six teams, the league would expand in 2017, with a team(s) in Canada. It would be at that moment I would become a diehard league supporter.
As it is I watch rugby as often as I can find it on television, although games without Canada involved are of less intrigue.
Now go back to last year’s World Cup of Rugby, and I was watching a ton of rugby. The New Zealand All Blacks won the title, their second straight. They are a juggernaut Canada can only dream of emulating.
But Canada was there, sadly failing to win a game in their pool; losing to Ireland, France, Italy and Romania. The first two are top-rated teams so losses there was not surprising, but I had hoped the Canucks might manage at least a split in the games against Italy and Romania.
Canada scored 58 points and allowed 131, a 73-point spread.
By comparison, the United States failed to finish in their pool either, scoring 50 and allowing 156, for a 106-point spread.
You can see by the performances of Canada and the US rugby has a long way to go in North America, which is why a pro league would be a major step.
Here’s hoping for a better outcome at the 2016 Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) this month.
The ARC will be the first series of the Americas Rugby Championship (sometimes informally called the “Americas Six Nations”, a reference toEurope’s Six Nations Championship), a new annual western hemisphere rugby union championship. It will be contested by Argentina, participating as their ‘A’ team Argentina XV, Canada, United States, Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile.
Canada did get off to a solid start with a 33-17 win over Uruguay on a Langley, B.C. pitch Saturday. It was a very solid first half I watched live online prior to the local Junior Terrier game.
Next up is a game in Austin, TX, against the US side Feb. 13.
As it is I believe rugby deserves more attention here.
While full team (15 players per side) rugby remains my preferred diversion, which was the rugby played at the aforementioned World Cup, there is also the Sevens game of rugby.
While recognizable as evolving out of the full team sport, Sevens is a decidedly different game on the pitch, one where quickness is essential on defence to protect the wide field, and breakaway speed is a key element on offence.
The two games are now, to my mind, distinct entities, with both being pure fun to watch.
With my interest in rugby it was a huge thrill to have the opportunity recently to telephone chat with National Team member Nanyak Dala.
Dala (born 18 June 1984) is a flanker, and has played 14 tests for the Canadian national team. Dala currently plays for Castaway Wanderers RFC in the British Columbia Premiership and with Prairie Wolf Pack in the Canadian Rugby Championship.
Dala was born in Jos, Nigeria, but moved to South Africa with his family and took up rugby at age 12. Eventually Dala would go on to represent KwaZulu-Natal provincial teams at various age-grade levels. Dala and his family would eventually move on to the city of North Battleford in Canada where his father, Gideon, sought job opportunities in the medical field. Dala later moved on to Saskatoon to pursue university education at the University of Saskatchewan. Once in Saskatoon Dala would go on to join local club side, Saskatoon Wild Oats, notes Wikipedia.
So which of the two distinct rugby games does Dala prefer?
“I don’t particularly prefer one, or the other,” not surprisingly said Dala, who did note with less players on the same sized pitch “there’s less places to hide” in 7s.
And because the game is more wide open, with more tries generally scored Dala said 7s “is definitely more exciting for the fans … It’s less complicated for the fans …
“Sevens being what it is comes down to a couple of points here or there.”
Certainly the profile of 7s rugby is about to grow again as it joins the Summer Olympics roster as a full medal sport.
Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in August in Rio de Janeiro. The competition will take two days. The 2016 Summer Olympics marks the debut for rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics, though rugby union was last played at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
The sports will feature for at least this and the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Brazil men’s and women’s teams will automatically qualify for the events. Qualification began with the 2014–15 Sevens World Series (men’s) and 2014–15 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, where the four teams at the top of the standings qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games. In June–September 2015, each of the six regional rugby unions will have an Olympic qualification event, where one team from each region will qualify.
The final spot will be determined by a repechage tournament. It will comprise 16 teams from the regional qualifiers: four from Europe, three from Africa, three from Asia, two from Oceania, two from North America and two from South America.
The Canadian women’s team qualified through the 2014–15 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.
The men’s team has one last chance to be at the Olympics. The Final 2016 Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament is an Olympic qualification tournament for Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics which will be held June 18 and 19 in Fontvieille, Monaco. The tournament will use a round-robin format, with the top team qualifying directly to the Olympics.
“There a lot of potential for rugby,” said Dala.
And there is also the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series which is ongoing. The series has what are essentially tournaments of 7s teams around the world. This past weekend the series was in Sydney, Australia.
Canada struggled in day one losing three matches, but they did play rugby powerhouses New Zealand and Australia. I watched the Australian game live online and it was obvious in that game at least Canada has to grow to be on the same level.
Day two things went better, with three wins including beating Manu Samoa 17-12 to win the bowl final.
Nate Hirayama wound up leading the tournament in points scored (55) and tries (7).
The series switches to Las Vegas for action March 4-6, and then Vancouver March 12-13. Canada has been drawn into Pool D with USA Rugby, The Welsh Rugby Union and South Africa.
Dala said the event in Canada will be big for the team getting to play at home.
“It’s part of a series,” he said, who added the weekends are tough, but the team does a good job of preparing through practices designed to simulate playing an intense game, having a break, and then heading back to the pitch for another match.
“It’s mentally and physically demanding, but how you train goes a long way,” he said, adding in 7s “it’s very high intensity” condensed into a shorter span of time.
“It’s a game of momentum.”
The HSBC Series will make 10 stops around the world, Vancouver being the sixth stop. March 4-6 the series.
The last round will be held May 21 and 22 in London in the United Kingdom.
“It’s definitely big for us being at home,” said Dala.
It is a weekend I’ll be marking on the calendar to watch some action, and then of course the Olympics where I do hope both Canadian teams are playing.
