Olympic silver medallists Canada join USA at PR7s All-Star Tournament

Before the new HSBC SVNS Series season gets underway in Dubai at the end of the month, rugby fans in Portland will have the opportunity to watch multiple Olympic medallists take the field at Providence Park on Sunday, November 17.

Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s) announced on Friday that the Canadian Women’s Sevens side will join the PR7s All-Star Tournament that weekend. The Olympic silver medallists will come up against North American rivals the USA as part of that event.

This is a significant announcement, with this addition to the PR7s All-Star Tournament pitting two of the three Olympic medal-winning women’s teams from Paris against each other. Canada and the USA registered their best-ever finishes, claiming silver and bronze respectively.

Those in attendance will watch 14-minute games in a tournament-style competition as both USA and Canada ramp up their preparations for the SVNS Series. The teams will come up against Olympians and legends of the sport at the home of the Portland Timbers.

“Welcoming the Canadian women’s team to the PR7s All-Star Tournament brings an exciting new dimension to this highly anticipated event,” CEO and founder of Premier Rugby Sevens, Owen Scannell, said in a statement.

“We’re thrilled to partner with both USA Rugby and Rugby Canada to celebrate Olympic medallists that captivated fans during the Paris Olympics.”

What both Canada and the USA achieved in Paris will live on forever as a milestone moment for the growth of women’s rugby in North America. Canada stunned Olympic hosts France 19-14 in the quarter-finals before backing that up with another incredible win.

The Canadians got the better of SVNS Series overall champions Australia in a sensational upset, and they pushed Team New Zealand close in the battle for gold. New Zealand won their spot on the top of the podium with a valiant 19-12 win, but it was by no means one-way traffic.

As for the USA, they were beaten by New Zealand in the semi-finals 24-12. But, they still had one more chance to make history, as they chased the United States of America’s first-ever Olympic medal in rugby sevens.

The Americans fell behind in the bronze medal playoff after a moment of brilliance from Australia’s Levi sisters, but the match is never over until the full-time whistle sounds. Alex ‘Spiff’ Sedrick raced away to score a sensational 95-metre try to tie the scores at 12-all.

Then, Sedrick lined up a conversion from in front which ended up going over. The USA players rushed the field as they celebrated their moment of triumph – claiming bronze while Australia missed out on an Olympic medal completely.

Make no mistake, this announcement from PR7s is huge. Canada and the USA are among the best women’s teams in rugby sevens, and they’ll be eager to put their skills on show ahead of the SVNS Series opener in Dubai from November 30.

“We are looking forward to participating in the PR7s All-Star Tournament against the USA and in preparation for the upcoming 2025 HSBC SVNS Series,” Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens side, Jocelyn Barrieau, explained.

“We will face some great competition in what will be our program’s first tournament post-Paris 2024. Everyone is excited to get on the pitch and continue to show how women’s rugby is growing in North America.”