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Canada’s women’s national rugby sevens team will take the field at B.C. Place this weekend at a time when women’s rugby in the country is riding a wave of success.
Canada will be one of eight women’s teams taking part in the HSBC Canada Sevens over the weekend. Eight men’s sides will also take the field at B.C. Place.
Three members of the sevens squad were part of Canada’s 15-a-side team that made it to the Women’s Rugby World Cup final last September in England. Canada lost 33-13 in front of a record crowd at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
“It was definitely a crazy experience,” said Florence Symonds, who plays on Canada’s sevens and 15s rugby sides, during a training session at B.C. Place on Thursday. “Having 80,000 fans in the crowd in one of the most iconic stadiums for rugby in the world at Twickenham was just an unreal feeling.
WATCH | Canada’s women’s rugby sevens to compete on home soil at B.C. Place:
Canada’s rugby stars prepare to compete on home turf at B.C. Place for the Rugby Sevens
Rugby fans are gearing up for a big weekend as the Rugby Sevens tournament takes over Vancouver’s B.C. Place. CBC’s Divya Banerjee caught up with Shoshanah Seumanutafa and Florence Symonds, two players from Canada’s women’s Rugby Sevens team as they prepared to compete on home turf
“Being that far away from Canada across the world, we felt so much love from all Canadians and the rugby community itself from Canada.”
Representing Canada internationally means plenty of time on the road. The HSBC Sevens series has already featured fixtures in the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Singapore and Australia.
Shoshanah Seumanutafa, who played on Canada’s 15s squad at the World Cup and is part of the sevens roster, says she’s looking forward to competing on home soil.
“A bit nervous, if I’m going to be honest, but more excited to be at home for once and being able to play with friends and in front of family,” said Seumanutafa, who grew up in White Rock, B.C.
Florence Symonds was part of the Canada team that played in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final. (Alastair Grant/AP Photo)
“I always hear the girls say this is one of their favourite stops because of the fact that we have our whole community here supporting us. As Rugby Canada players, we don’t necessarily get to experience that as often, so this is a pretty special stop for everyone.”
Canada’s success at last year’s World Cup follows a silver-medal performance in rugby sevens at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Canada comes into Vancouver sitting fifth in the standings on the rugby sevens circuit.
Both Symonds and Seumanutafa say the atmosphere at the HSBC Canada Sevens, complete with fans in colourful costumes, is second to none.
Seumanutafa remembers seeing the costumes when she attended the tournament as a fan and she’s looking forward to being on the field to look up and “see the costumes from that point of view.”
“I’m always going to say the yetis are my favourites,” added Symonds, referring to fans who dressed as abominable snowmen.
Fans dressed as yetis cheer on Canada as they play Brazil during HSBC Canada Sevens women’s rugby action, in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
World Rugby has revamped the HSBC Sevens format, reducing the field to just eight men’s and eight women’s teams for the first six events of the season. The field then expands for the final three stops, with promotion-relegation on the table.
The Canadian men will be playing in a companion invitational tournament in Vancouver during the HSBC Canada Sevens. Relegated in June 2024, Canada’s men’s team is still looking to climb its way back into the top tier.
Symonds and Seumanutafa, who both played for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, hope Canada’s recent success of in both women’s sevens and 15s will inspire a new generation of girls to take up the game.
“They’re so excited that they can see themselves represented in us as a team…. Honestly, they’re just so eager to learn the game, and they’re eager to just touch the ball and chuck the ball around with their friends,” Symonds said.
