Canada can capitalize in rugby 7s Olympic debut
Everything you need to know ahead of the 1st hit in Rio
By Benjamin Blum, CBC Sports
Here's a guide to what, who and when to watch rugby sevens at the Rio Olympics.
Canada's podium push
Whether you agree or disagree with the decision to leave Magali Harvey off the roster, Canada's rugby team is well set to compete in sevens' Olympic debut. Led by well-rounded captain Jen Kish and supported by 500-plus point-scorer Ghislaine Landry, the Canadian women's team is poised for a deep run in Rio.
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However, they won't have an easy road to the podium. Longtime rival England added Welsh speedster Jasmine Joyce to form Great Britain's team. Canada will face the Brits, Japan, and host nation Brazil in pool play.
The Canadians will need a strong tactical performance from scrum half Kayla Moleschi to ignite a quick counterattack and will rely on Karen Paquin and Britt Benn to shore up the team defensively.
Favourites
Australia enters the Olympics as the presumptive team to beat on the women's side. The reigning HSBC Women's Sevens Series champions won three of five events en route to claiming the overall title. Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand are also contenders in the women's tournament, led by all-time sevens points leader Portia Woodman.
In the men's event, Fiji has a chance to make Olympic history. The small Pacific Island nation has never won a medal at the Games, but now have a chance to reach the podium in their national sport. The Fijians enter the tournament as the back-to-back HSBC Sevens World Series winners, but could be pushed by South Africa's Blitzbokke or the always-formidable All Blacks from New Zealand.
Long shots
The United States is a dark horse in the men's bracket. The reigning rugby 15s gold medallists from 1924 will need strong pool performances from sevens stars Perry Baker and Carlin Isles to survive a difficult group.
Argentina, Kenya and last-chance qualifier Spain will likely finish off the podium, but could play spoiler in a sport notorious for last-second victories.
The Brazilian women's side could parlay home soil into an advantage, but will likely be on the outside looking in with Spain and Colombia. Keep an eye out for the French team to be a disrupting force in the women's tournament.
Key matches
Rugby sevens is the ideal sport for binge-watching, with 12 matches taking place on the first day alone. The women's tournament runs from August 6-8 with the men's event taking place August 9-11.
Here are Canada's pool matches (all these are live streamed at cbc.ca/olympics and on the CBC Rio 2016 app:
- Aug 6 vs. Japan (11:30 a.m. ET)
- Aug 6 vs. Brazil (4:30 p.m. ET)
- Aug 7 vs. Great Britain (11:30 a.m. ET)
The quarter-finals begin at 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 7, with the medal matches taking place on Aug. 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Format
Each competition will feature 12 teams divided into the following pools:
Women's tournament:
- Pool A: Australia, United States, Fiji, Colombia
- Pool B: New Zealand, France, Spain, Kenya
- Pool C: Canada, Great Britain, Brazil, Japan
Men's tournament:
- Pool A: Fiji, United States, Argentina, Brazil
- Pool B: South Africa, Australia, France, Spain
- Pool C: New Zealand, Great Britain, Kenya, Japan
The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third-place teams, advance to the quarter-finals.
With files from The Associated Press