It is always, "They," never, "We." It is the first and most important rule of sports broadcasting. I am not paid to be a homer or a cheerleader; I'm paid to be impartial and objective. Without exception, balance is essential. From time to time that is easier said than done. Like you, I am a fan at heart; a supporter of the game and of Team Canada. Show me someone who doesn't love an underdog and I'll show you someone who doesn't grasp the emotional attachment necessary to maximize the experience. It is a simple concept. The lesser team, often with the benefit of noisy, passionate fans, ups its game. The players respond to the vocal encouragement, not wanting to let down the paying spectators. A unique bond is born and the result is a powerful combination. That is what happened when Canada played Fiji in Vancouver. There is no other logical explanation. No doubt the Canadians felt they owed the fans a performance following a meek loss in their pool opener against Samoa. The hosts going head to head with the defending champions. The Canadians massive underdogs against a team of physically huge and technically brilliant athletes. Even the most optimistic and ardent Canadian supporter must have feared the worst. I checked my game notes one more time. The portents were ominous. Canada had beaten Fiji only four times in 51 all-time meetings. This could get ugly and predictably lopsided in a hurry. The narrative was surely set – a routine Fijian win would naturally ensue. What followed will live long in the memory. Canada defied the odds to build an early lead, only for Fiji to level matters at halftime. The hosts got ahead again after the interval only to be pegged back a second time. In a rousing finale, Canada kept its nerve and executed one final time to beat the Olympic champions. It was one game. Its outcome was immaterial to the eventual standings at the Canada Sevens. But it was a moment that illustrated both the best and the worst of Canadian rugby. WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Fiji match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Fiji Sports 22:41 Watch Canada battle Fiji at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 22:41 No consistency Let's assume the glass is half full. Canada has the technical ability and collective commitment to beat the best. This was no fluke result. Canada, elevated by its boisterous fans, found another gear and the belief to post a famous win. Ironically it also served to highlight Canada's main weakness. In a word: inconsistency. It is endlessly frustrating. Canada CAN do it, just not on a regular enough basis. It is an Achilles heel that refuses to heal. I am certain Canada does not want to be regarded as a "once in a while" team. It has the talent but all too frequently the composure is lacking. It is, by definition, a vicious cycle. Without the confidence that only comes from the ability to execute, mistakes are bound to repeat themselves. The Canadians can learn from their neighbours. Team USA has been model of consistency this season and demonstrated the capacity to recover efficiently after setbacks. It is this mental toughness that is so often the difference between elite athletes, regardless of the sport. History will show another Canada Sevens where the hosts failed to make the quarter-finals, mush less threaten the podium. There are no medals for finishing 10th but Canada showed, albeit fleetingly, what can be achieved. As for the fans, they didn't put a foot wrong. There are great rugby venues across the globe and Vancouver is becoming one of them. It is an annual festival with fancy dress in all its splendor providing the most colourful and entertaining backdrop to complement the action on the pitch. They clearly enjoyed the weekend entertainment, and it is gratifying to hear Vancouver will continue to host this feast of rugby for at least the next four years. Ultimately Canada finished where they should – well down the pecking order. But for 14 magical minutes against Fiji the fans were on their feet. Me too.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email Rugby Canada has announced a deal to keep the popular Rugby Sevens tournament in Vancouver for at least four more years. The news comes as BC Place gears up to play host to the 2019 event, one of 10 stops on an international circuit, for its fourth consecutive year. Under the terms of the deal, Vancouver will host the tournament until at least 2023. “Four years ago, we started this process. We’ve had three previous events, we were kind of a long shot to host. And there was a lot of risk to be perfectly honest. We didn’t know what rugby down the street at the end of Robson would look like,” said Rugby Canada director of commercial and program relations Gareth Rees. Story continues below advertisement “I can tell you, we’ve been absolutely blown away.” WATCH: Canada Rugby Sevens preview 4:02 Canada Sevens Rugby Preview Canada Sevens Rugby Preview – Jan 17, 2019 Rugby Canada says the event has been a game-changer both for the organization, and for Vancouver as an economic driver. Canada Sevens board of directors chairman John Furlong said the extension is another chance for Vancouver to showcase its love of the game. “I think the next step for us is to make sure in the years to come that we continue to see this as a stepping stone for the Canadian team to qualify for the Olympics,” he said. “That’s the goal, the sporting goal. We know the economic goal, the event goal. This is the sporting goal.” Story continues below advertisement The top-four teams at the end of the season will automatically qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The popular two-day Canadian event has drawn 213,630 spectators in its three years on the circuit. Organizers say they are approaching 70,000 tickets sold, with the two-day capacity of more than 80,000. Canada’s record in Vancouver is 9-7-1. The country’s men’s team won its first-ever Rugby Sevens tournament in Singapore in 2017. — With files from The Canadian Press<doc-sep>A depleted Canadian team ran out gas, losing 35-21 to Australia in the Challenge Trophy final Sunday at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens tournament in Vancouver. Injuries reduced Canada's roster to 11 players from 13. The gruelling toll of playing six games over two days also showed as Canada struggled to crack the Australian defence. WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Australia match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Challenge Trophy Final - Canada vs. Australia Sports 23:53 Watch Canada face off with Australia in the Challenge Trophy Final at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 23:53 "We're down a few guys, but the boys really ground it out," said Harry Jones of West Vancouver. "I'm really proud of them." Canada began the two-day tournament with an embarrassing 38-7 loss to Samoa Saturday morning. The team regrouped to win four straight matches before dropping the consolation final to finish 10th among 16 teams. "We had to marshal the troops a little bit," said head coach Damian McGrath. "There were a lot of positives. We showed a glimpse of what we were capable of if we were well resourced, well supported and staffed like other teams." At the beginning of the season the Rugby 7s players were in a dispute with Rugby Canada management over compensation and the dismissals of Lee Douglas, who acted as a strength and conditioning coach, and long-time manager Brian Hunter. Jones alluded to the dispute when summing up the weekend. "A lot of things go into it and the boys will never complain about anything," he said. "A little more support would be great. "We lost a few guys due to a lack of support and the proper [strength and condition coach] full time. It does hurt at the end of the day, but those boys put it out there 110 per cent and that's what good Canadian boys do." WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Scotland match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Gold Medal Match - South Africa vs. France Sports 42:16 Watch South Africa face off with France in the gold medal match at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 42:16 South Africa defeated France 21-12 to win the tournament championship. Fiji, which won last year's event in Vancouver, defeated the U.S. 24-14 in the bronze-medal game. The U.S. continues to lead the overall Rugby 7s standings with 113 points, followed by New Zealand (106), Fiji (101) and South Africa (89). Canada is 12th with 35 points. The competition drew a total attendance of 73,819. WATCH | South Africa wins tournament championship: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Scotland Sports 22:19 Watch Canada battle Scotland at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 22:19 'Grinding all week' Canada advanced to the consolation final by overcoming a 14-0 half-time deficit to defeat Scotland 19-14. Isaac Kaay crashed over for the winning try on the last play of the game. "We have been grinding all week," said Kaay, of Kamloops, B.C. "We're showing now how much grit [we have]. There is no give-up on this team. That's what Canadian rugby is all about." Canada's best finish this season in Rugby 7s was a tie for seventh at a tournament in Hamilton, New Zealand. Reaching the Challenge Trophy final is a confidence boost heading into the final four tournaments of the season. "No one likes to play in the bottom half," said Kaay. "This is the first semifinal of any kind we've won this year. It's a step in the right direction for us." WATCH | The entire Canada vs. Spain match: World Rugby Men's Sevens Series Vancouver: Canada vs. Spain Sports 24:46 Watch Canada battle Spain at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver. 24:46 Among the injuries, captain Nathan Hirayama was sidelined with fractured ribs while Adam Zaruba was out with a foot injury. One of the players filling the void was Connor Braid, who scored six tries over the weekend and helped set up two scores in the win over Scotland. "We were joking we have to get a bigger door to fit his head through," Kaay said about Braid. "The guys has grown in confidence, been a real big leader for us. "He's changed as a leader as the weekend has gone on. As a player it's amazing to watch him evolve from a guy who would speak a lot to a guy who is saying very little and is just showing in his play." Roller coaster Saturday Canada began Sunday with a 33-7 romp over Spain. Braid led the charge with a pair of tries. The Canadians rode a roller coaster of emotions Saturday. After being humiliated by Samoa the team battled back to upset defending Olympic champion Fiji 26-19, then defeated Kenya 36-21. Canada needed help to reach the championship quarterfinals but was left on the outside looking in when Fiji defeated Samoa 31-17 in the final B Pool game. The top two teams from each of the four pools advance to the elite quarterfinals. Samoa, Fiji and Canada all finished with 2-1 records, but the Canadians didn't advance because of a points differential. The top four finishers after the 10 Rugby 7s tournaments automatically qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. With the U.S. secure in a top-four position, it makes Canada's route to the Olympics through a qualifying system easier. The crowd at BC Place Stadium looked like an audition for a David Lynch movie. People dressed like superheroes sat beside furry animals. Fairies with wings lined up for beer beside rainbow-colour cows. There were Viking hats, people in loud Maple Leaf coats, leprechauns, unicorns and some costumes that simply left you wondering. The next 7s tournament is in Hong Kong April 5-7.<doc-sep>Selvyn Davids scored one try, set up another and kicked three conversions to inspire 2018 World Sevens series champions South Africa to their first tournament since Paris last year with a 21-12 victory over France in Vancouver on Sunday. LOS ANGELES - Selvyn Davids scored one try, set up another and kicked three conversions to inspire 2018 World Sevens series champions South Africa to their first tournament since Paris last year with a 21-12 victory over France in Vancouver on Sunday. The two teams had never previously met in a Cup final and Pierre Gilles Lakafia's early try for France forced South Africa to come from behind. "It was a great final," said 24-year-old man-of-the-match Davids, who ran half the length of the field to set up Impi Visser beneath the posts for the opening Blitzbokke score. "We knew France would be coming for us. We got a lot of youngsters but like the coach says, if we can gel together then anything is possible." ðŸ¤­ Thereâ€™s an obscene amount of skill in this @Blitzboks try. How good is Selvyn Davids? #Canada7s pic.twitter.com/myLTpVtovF â€” World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) March 9, 2019 Werner Kok stole the ball to set up Davids for a long run to the line three minutes after the first-half siren. And it was Kok himself who sealed the match with the third try on the left flank in the second half. "It was a much-needed win for our team," said South Africa's Philip Snyman, who said it was an important stepping stone as they look to retain their series title. "I am really happy with the win. Hopefully, we can build on this one." Stephen Parez scored a late consolation try for France, who had reached a final for the first time since 2012. Last year's Vancouver champions Fiji beat series leaders USA 24-14 in the bronze final to take third place. It was the first time this season that the USA had failed to reach the final after they were dominated 33-5 by France in the last four. South Africa beat Fiji 33-12 in the other semi. New Zealand finished outside the top four for the first time this season but beat England 26-19 to take fifth place. USA remain top of the series standings with 113 points, seven ahead of New Zealand. Fiji are third with 101 but South Africa have leapfrogged England into fourth on 89 points. The series now travels to Asia for the Hong Kong Sevens from 5-7 April.<doc-sep>
South Africa celebrate after defeating France in the final of the Canada Sevens Defending series champion South Africa beat a resurgent France 21-12 in the final of the Vancouver Sevens on Sunday to claim their first title of the season in the World Rugby Sevens Series. South Africa's best result in the previous five rounds of the 2018-2019 season was a third-placing in their home tournament at Cape Town in December. The new-look BlitzBokke have been forced to give up several key players to Super Rugby and were only seventh at the previous series stop at Las Vegas last week. But after completing pool play on Saturday with an unbeaten record, including a win over series leader USA, they went on to reach the final with a 33-12 quarter-final win over Argentina and 31-12 semi-final win over Fiji. France was the most unlikely of finalists, appearing in their first Cup final since 2012 and chasing a first title in 14 years. The French were only 15th at the Las Vegas Sevens and were beaten 45-7 by New Zealand in their opening pool match in Vancouver. Pierre Gilles Lakafia runs the ball in for a try while avoiding Impi Visser But they recovered to reach the play-offs, beating Las Vegas finalists Samoa 35-12 in the quarter-finals and the United States 33-5 in the semis. France also scored first, through veteran Pierre Gilles Lakafi, to raise the prospect of one of the biggest finals upsets in series history. The French were able to hold the ball for long periods but possibly lacked the speed out wide to make full use of that possession. South Africa's JC Pretorius fights off a tackle from Remi Siega on Sunday South Africa finally got some good possession in the sixth minute to take the lead with a try under the posts to Impi Visser, one of their stars of the tournament. Speedster Selvyn Davids then scored almost three minutes after the siren to give South Africa a 14-5 advantage at half-time. Werner Kok gave South Africa a 21-5 lead with a try in the second minute of the second half. France kept their hopes faintly alive when Stephan Parez broke away to score two minutes later. If France could have scored again, the match would have been in the balance, but they were unable to break down the defence and South Africa claimed their first series title since Paris last season. South Africa enjoy their first title of the season in the World Rugby Sevens Series "I think it was a much improved effort from our team and the boys played some fantastic rugby," South Africa captain Philip Snyman said. "I'm really happy with the win and hopefully we can build on this one now. "There's a lot of talent in this group and a lot of talent waiting back home ... I knew it was only a matter of time until this team started to gel." The United States still leads the series standing with 113 points, seven ahead of New Zealand and one clear of Olympic gold medalist Fiji.