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The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Wallaroos thumped 45-7 by Canada in harsh World Cup reality check
The rise of Australia's rugby women has been rocked by a clinical Canada in Brisbane, walloped 45-7 by the world No 2 side to crush local hopes of a first Pacific Four title. It extends the Wallaroo's dismal run against the North Americans to 0-7 in XVs and leaves them plenty to ponder in the three Test lead-in to the World Cup in August. The eight-try trouncing salts the wound of Australia's shock defeat to Canada in the Sevens semi-final at the 2024 Olympics where a 12-0 lead at Stade de France imploded into a 22-12 cataclysm. It ended their gold medal dreams and impacted the playoff for bronze where a late USA try ultimately left the 2016 champions without a medal. But hopes were high those demons could be laid to rest in Brisbane. With an infusion of Sevens stars by coach Jo Yapp, Australia had posted spirited victories over Fijiana and USA this past month. But against the Pacific Four champions – fresh from a 27-all draw with world champs New Zealand – they needed everything to go their way. It didn't. The kickoff was a disaster with a wicked bounce allowing Canada to regather 10-metres out. Two desperate turnovers by captain Siokapesi Palu kept the Canadians out initially, but a third error in in as many minutes let the Red Army roll a maul 30 metres downfield where prop McKinley Hunt planted the ball over the stripe for 7-0. With blood in the water, Australia's panic was preyed on. Timid defence and repeat errors was gifting hairless halfback Olivia Apps fast ball to light up Canada's attack. In the 11th minute DeLeaka Menin burst through loose Wallaroos defence to put Karen Paquin over. A third stolen lineout then sent fullback Julia Schell to the line for 21-0. Australia capitalised on a disallowed visitors try to launch raids down the short side. Again, Sevens convert Charlotte Caslick was the spark. Shifted from wing closer to the action at inside-centre, the 30-year-old was troubling Canada captain Alexandra Tessier with her charges and putting the Red Army on their heels with torrid defence. But the gulf in class between the sides was sobering. Although Canada botched a second try through obstruction in the 39th minute, they shrugged it off to deal the home side a mortal blow on the stroke of halftime, a stolen scrum giving Laetitia Royer a clear path to the line for a fourth try and an ominous 26-0 lead at the break. If there was a glimmer of hope for the Wallaroos, it was that they had fought back from 26 down against New Zealand a fortnight back, holding the Black Ferns to parity in the final 30 minutes to go down fighting by 38-12. Sure enough, they shot from the sheds, a Caitlyn Halse kick winning territory for Adiana Talakai to cross the stripe. Alas, the try was scrubbed for a knock-on in the lead-up. Undaunted, Australia came again, Georgina Friedrichs making the break for Desiree Miller to carry two defenders over the line for 26-7. The 'game on' glow lasted three minutes before Canada struck again, fast hands from Apps to her backs putting wing Krissy Scurfield into the corner. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Yapp had made five changes to the match-day 23 that defeated USA 27-19 in Canberra last week, including an all-new front row for the second-week running. When veteran centre Alex Tessier cut through to make it a 30-point margin, the coach rang more changes, seeking the alchemy Australia need to win a RWC top-four berth in England. It put starch in the gold line but not enough to stop Julia Omokhuale crossing for 45-7. Although the Wallaroos have improved significantly this season and have one Test against New Zealand and two against Wales to experiment before the RWC pool stages, the dissolution of their set-piece in Brisbane is a major worry. The lineout and scrum were a shambles and Canada dismantled the home side in every department. 'Our setpiece was challenged,' said Palu after the loss. 'But if we're to try and take the positives, we've grown our depth in the middle.' Canada's victory leaves them top of the Pacific Four ladder although New Zealand can wrestle the title away by defeating US and surging past Canada's on points difference.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian women look to build on momentum going into rugby sevens season finale
The Canadian women's rugby sevens team, coming off back-to-back third-place finishes in Hong Kong and Singapore, look to finish the HSBC SVNS season with a bang this weekend in Carson, Calif. Canada, fourth after the first six events of the season, has been drawn in Pool A with No. 1 New Zealand, No. 5 Japan and No. 8 Britain in the winner-take-all HSBC SVNS World Championship. In the first year of an Olympic quadrennial, the Canadian women have improved as the season wore on, with coach Jocelyn Barrieau blooding a stream of new talent while players cycle between the sevens and 15s sides. The Canadian women finished eighth to open the current season in Dubai, fifth in Cape Town, fourth in Perth and seventh in Vancouver before the two third-place finishes. Veteran Olivia Apps calls it 'steady progress.' 'I think it's definitely exceeded expectations,' the 26-year-old from Lindsay, Ont., who now calls Vancouver Island home, said of the season. 'We've had a lot of younger players come into the group … And building into (the next) four years, I think that's exactly where we want to be — and still being able to put some consistent performances. 'There's still a lot of growing to do. I think you can see in our games against (No. 2) Australia and New Zealand, we're still a bit away from them because our games (against them) aren't really as competitive as we want them to be. But I think that we've really set ourselves a good marker in the top three, top four of the World Series … so I'm happy about that.' New Zealand and Australia have gone a combined 9-0-0 against Canada in dominating the circuit this season. New Zealand won tournaments in Cape Town, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore while Australia triumphed in Dubai and Perth, Australia. The field has been cut to the top eight men's and women's teams for the season finale. Teams nine through 12 were to have joined the top four teams from the second-tier Challenger Series — including the Canadian men — in a promotion/relegation playoff at Dignity Health Sports Park. But World Rugby announced Thursday it was changing the season format to a three-tier setup next year, taking promotion and relegation off the table this weekend. 'Definitely super-disappointing,' said Elias Hancock, a member of the Canadian men's team. Instead, the best the Canadian men can do is make Division 2 next season, with a chance to then earn promotion to the revamped eight-team top tier. The Canadian women finished fourth in last season's finale in Madrid in June, beaten 26-14 by No. 1 New Zealand in the bronze-medal game. Apps, then captain, was selected to World Rugby's Women's Sevens Dream Team. The Canadians will be looking to finish in the top two in their group this weekend so as to make the semifinals, where Australia likely awaits if Canada is runner-up. 'There's definitely a mindset that anything can happen in this tournament and the fact that it is winner-takes-all gives all teams a bit of an extra confidence, that it's not just another World Series tournament where you're going to see a New Zealand-Australia final;' said Apps, who missed the first two events while taking time off but rejoined the squad for Perth. After the weekend, Apps and sevens teammates Alysha Corrigan, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Florence Symonds and Mahalia Robinson will join the 15s team for the remaining matches of the Pacific Four Series in New Zealand and Australia. The second-ranked Canadian women were scheduled to open defence of their Pacific Four Series title against the ninth-ranked U.S. in Kansas City later Friday. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025
CBC
29-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canada rugby 7s captain Olivia Apps scores in Hong Kong to reach 300-point milestone
Social Sharing Captain Olivia Apps reached the 300-point plateau in HSBC SVNS play while Taylor Perry scored her first try in World Rugby's elite sevens series as Canada opened play at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens with a win and a loss Friday. Canada opened with a 24-17 victory over No. 5 Japan before dropping a 26-15 decision to No. 2 Australia. It will wrap up Pool C play against No. 12 Spain. The Hong Kong event is being held at the new Kai Tak Stadium. The Canadian women stand sixth in the overall standings after finishing eighth in Dubai, fifth in Cape Town, fourth in Perth and seventh last month in Vancouver. New Zealand tops the table, winning in Cape Town and Vancouver and finishing runner-up to Australia in Dubai and Perth, Australia. Hong Kong marks Perry's first action for the sevens side since winning silver at last summer's Paris Olympics. Perry has been playing 15s rugby in England with the Exeter Chiefs. Apps, who arrived in Hong Kong on 296 points in HSBC SVNS play, is captaining the side in the absence of the injured Piper Logan. Following Hong Kong, the circuit shifts to Singapore for the penultimate event of the season April 5-6. The top eight men's and women's teams will then compete in the May 3-4 season-ending world championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The California finale will also feature a promotion/relegation playoff involving the top four men's and women's teams from the second-tier HSBC Sevens Challenger and the bottom four teams on the HSBC SVNS circuit. The Canadian men, relegated last June, are set to take part in the final Challenger Series event April 11-12 in Krakow, Poland.
