Fancy Bermudez (left) is one of six members of the 2024 Olympic silver medal-winning rugby team who will suit up for Canada in sevens play this weekend in Hong Kong.ETHAN CAIRNS/The Canadian Press
A reinforced Canadian women’s roster opens the business end of the World Rugby HSBC SVNS Series on Friday in Hong Kong.
The expanded 12-team competition marks the first stop of the three-legged HSBC SVNS World Championship. Canada, which stands fifth after the season’s first six events, will be competing for the title in Hong Kong, Valladolid, Spain (May 29-31) and Bordeaux, France (June 5-7).
Promotion and relegation are also on the line with Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Spain joining the eight women’s core teams over the three stops, looking to cement their place in the top tier after climbing out of the SVNS 2 competition.
The U.S., Kenya, Germany and Uruguay are looking to earn promotion on the men’s side. The Canadian men, relegated from the top tier in 2024, worked their back to the SVNS 2 competition but missed out on a chance at further promotion after finishing sixth.
The bottom four men’s and women’s sides will be relegated after the Bordeaux finale, with only results at the three-stop World Championship counting.
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Canada coach Jocelyn Barrieau says the higher stakes and storied Hong Kong locale have made for a much different atmosphere.
“It definitely feels like a step up. ... Hong Kong does really know how to throw a sevens party and the whole city is buzzing as it’s the 50th anniversary,” Barrieau said in an interview. “It’s been really exciting. All the lead-up has been great.”
Canada opens Pool B play against No. 8 Great Britain before facing South Africa and No. 2 Australia.
Canada opened the season with sixth-place finishes in Dubai and Cape Town in December, before placing third in Singapore, fifth in both Perth, Australia, and Vancouver and seventh most recently in New York.
Alysha Corrigan (centre) was on Canada's silver medal-winning Olympic squad in Paris in 2024. She'll take part in Canada's women's rugby sevens play this weekend in Hong Kong.Dave Shopland/The Associated Press
Barrieau’s Hong Kong roster includes six veterans of the 2024 Paris Olympic silver medalist squad – Olivia Apps, Fancy Bermudez, Alysha Corrigan, Caroline Crossley, Charity Williams and Florence Symonds.
“There’s not too many strangers on that list, which is nice,” Barrieau said of her roster. “There’s quite a bit of experience returning. ... A lot of them are deeply connected for many, many years and we’re looking forward to that.”
Some players are returning from injury. Others have been juggling other responsibilities.
Hong Kong marks Crossley’s first involvement since Paris. The 27-year-old from Victoria has been focusing on her ongoing law studies at McGill University.
“It’s unlikely that she’ll be a consistent fixture for us, but she’s definitely a breath of fresh air and we’re very, very happy to have her back in the squad,” Barrieau said.
Apps resumes her role as captain in returning from 15s club play in England with Saracens.
As always, choosing the roster involves a lot of balls in the air with Kevin Rouet’s second-ranked 15s side currently competing at the Pacific Four Series.
Sevens veterans Pamphinette Buisa, Chloe Daniels, Claire Gallagher, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Taylor Perry, Mahalia Robinson, Gabrielle Senft and Shoshanah Seumanutafa are all with the 15s team, which faces No. 3 New Zealand on Friday in Kansas City.
Canada has a career 12-5-0 record against Britain in HSBC SVNS play and has won all four meetings this season, including a 22-14 decision last time out in New York. Barrieau, however, warns the British roster has been strengthened.
“We know they’re quite a bit speedier than the last time we played them. And quite a bit more skills as well,” she said.
The Canadians are familiar with the South African women, having spent time at their Stellenbosch training centre during the Cape Town sevens stop.
Canada has won all five previous HSBC SVNS meetings with South Africa, including a 26-7 decision last time out in Perth in 2024.
Australia, which holds a 36-14-1 career edge over Canada in HSBC SVNS play, has made all six finals this season. So has New Zealand, which won five of the six with the Aussies prevailing in Cape Town.
Australia has won all six meetings with Canada this season, prevailing 40-0 last time out in New York.
“We have a few things up our sleeve for them, as well, to see if we can execute and get one past them to top our group,” Barrieau said.
With the expanded 12-team format, the top two teams in each of the three groups plus the two best third-place sides advance to the cup competition.
Should it win the group, Canada would face one of those third-place teams. A runner-up finish would mean a matchup with the second-place team in Pool C, which features the third-ranked U.S., No. 4 France, Spain and Argentina.
Canada roster
Breanne Nicholas, Blenheim, Ont., Kent Havoc RFC; Savannah Bauder, North Vancouver, Capilano RFC; Charity Williams, Toronto, UBC; Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Carmen Izyk, High River, Alta., Queen’s University; Olivia Apps (capt.), Saracens (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Loughborough Lightning (England); Eden Kilgour, Barrie, Ont., University of Victoria; Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Saracens (England); Sabrina Poulin, St-Georges, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Kennedi Stevenson, Glen Williams, Ont., Queen’s University; Larah Wright, Calgary, University of Victoria