Canada's men's rugby sevens team faces an arduous task at the 2021 Olympics.
The team did not qualify for the Rio Games in 2016, which was when the sport made its Olympic debut. In 2021, in its first appearance in rugby sevens, Canada will face 2016 gold medalist Fiji, silver medalist Great Britain and Japan in pool play. Yikes. Canada did go 6-0-0 to qualify for this year's edition.
CANADA OLYMPICS: Daily schedule | Medal count
Despite the tall task in front of them, the team is ready. Co-captain Nathan Hirayama was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony with women's basketball player Miranda Ayim. Hirayama has scored the third-most points in World Rugby Sevens Series history. Not too shabby.
Here's everything you need to know as Team Canada goes for gold in men's rugby sevens at the 2021 Summer Olympics:
Canada men's rugby sevens roster
| NAME | HOMETOWN |
|---|---|
| Phil Berna | Vancouver, B.C. |
| Connor Braid | Victoria, B.C. |
| Justin Douglas | Abbotsford, B.C. |
| Mike Fuailefau | Victoria, B.C. |
| Lucas Hammond | Toronto, Ont. |
| Nathan Hirayama | Richmond, B.C. |
| Harry Jones | West Vancouver, B.C. |
| Patrick Kay | Duncan, B.C. |
| Matt Mullins | Belleville, Ont. |
| Theo Sauder | Vancouver, B.C. |
| Jake Thiel | Abbotsford, B.C. |
| Conor Trainor | Vancouver, B.C. |
Canada men's rugby sevens schedule
Team Canada kicked off group play Sunday, July 25. Each game consists of two seven-minute halves.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., July 25 | vs. Great Britain | 3:30 a.m. | L, 24-0 |
| Mon., July 26 | vs. Fiji | 4 a.m. | L, 28-14 |
| Mon., July 26 | vs. Japan | 8 p.m. | W, 36-12 |
| Tues., July 27 | QF vs. New Zealand | 4:30 a.m. | L, 21-10 |
| Tues., July 27 | Placing (5th/6th) vs. USA | 4 a.m. | L, 21-14 |
| Wed., July 28 | Placing vs. South Africa/Australia | 3:30 a.m. | L, 26-7 |
How to watch Canada men's rugby sevens team
- TV channels: CBC
- Live streams: CBC Gem, CBC's Tokyo 2020 website, CBC Olympics app
CBC will be the broadcast home of the Tokyo Olympics in Canada. The coverage will be 'round the clock, as the network will air four, six-hour programs covering all things Olympics and events featuring Team Canada. CBC will show live and tape-delayed coverage of the major events. Partners TSN and Sportsnet will also have select events.
Streamers will also have plenty of ways to watch the games in Canada. CBC Gem and the CBC Olympics app will both provide streaming options for Canadians and CBC.ca will provide live events, highlights and replays of various CBC-aired sports throughout the Olympics.
Audiences will also be able to watch CBC’s coverage through Amazon Prime Video, television service providers Bell, Rogers, Shaw and Telus and through connected TV devices Apple TV, FireTV, Google Chromecast and Roku TV (via the CBC TV and CBC Gem apps).