Canadian Rugby Sevens Team

Vancouver is a stop on the World Rugby Sevens Series tour. The Canada Sevens is a three-day tournament featuring top rugby teams from around the globe.

If you are a rugby fan or a fan of sports in general, then this is an event you likely won’t want to miss. The tour returns to Vancouver from February 23rd to 25th in 2024.

Note: StayVancouverHotels.com has a limited time promotion for the Rugby Sevens event. When you book a stay at a local hotel for three or more nights between February 20th and 27th, use the promo code “Rugby” to receive two free general admission tournament passes.

Other events happening on the same weekend include the Just for Laughs Vancouver comedy festival, Earlybird RV Show in Abbotsford, and Vancouver International Wine Festival. There is also Love Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Space Explorers: The Infinite at Rocky Mountaineer Station.

To learn about other events happening this month, see Vancouver’s February Calendar. For information about the rugby games, continue reading.

This article contains the following information about Rugby Sevens in Vancouver:

Vancouver’s Canada Rugby Sevens

In 2023 there were 16 teams competing in Vancouver in the Rugby Sevens Tournament. There are normally 10 tournaments held around the world each year and the team with the most points out of all the tournaments wins. In 2024, however, the competition changes.

The new Rugby Sevens Series once again has both the men’s and women’s tournaments taking place simultaneously (like last year). There are now only 8 tournaments and the number of men’s teams taking part have been cut down to 12 to be equal to the women’s tournaments.

In total, the Vancouver tournament features two dozen teams and over 60 matches between February 23rd and 25th.

The event has a party-like atmosphere. A lot of the seating is un-assigned, so those in attendance can move around the stadium. Many people who attend also visit the bars around the stadium during the day, before going back inside to watch.

The Teams at the Event

There are 24 teams participating at the Vancouver Rugby Seven Series in 2024.

The men’s side has 12 teams, which are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa, Spain and USA.

The women’s side also has 12 teams, which are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Fiji, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and USA.

Team Canada at the Rugby Sevens — Team Canada at Practice

Ticket Prices

Prices of tickets depend on if you want reserved seats and if you want to go for one day or the entire weekend. Continue reading below for tournament packages and prices.

General Admission

At the 2024 Canada Rugby Sevens event, these tickets allow you to sit wherever you want within the General Admission area but your seats aren’t reserved and anyone can take them if you decide to leave and come back later.

One Day Pass – $75+
Saturday and Sunday – $150+
Full Tournament – $165+

Reserved Seats

These seats are designated seats saved for ticket holders for the entire weekend. They ensure that you are always sitting with your group in the same spot with amazing views of the field.

Reserved Seating:

- One Day Pass – $80+
- Saturday and Sunday – $160+
- Full Tournament – $180+

Sideline Seating:

- One Day Pass – $95+
- Saturday and Sunday – $190+
- Full Tournament – $225+

Premium Tickets

These seats each have their own perks such as private lounges, private bars and/or in-seat food services. Check the official website to see the specific extras included in each type of ticket.

Elite and Club:

- One Day Pass – $160+
- Full Tournament – $390+

Fieldside Premium:

- Full Tournament – $795+

Canada's Rugby Sevens Coach

The Rugby Sevens Schedule

Every game lasts for about 16 to 20 minutes, so they are very short. Games start almost immediately after the other. Each game is broken up into two 7-minute halves with a 2-minute half-time in the middle.

Below are the general times for when the games start and end in 2024.

Friday, February 23rd, 2024

Today’s first game is a women’s clash between USA and Fiji. They kick off at 11:30 am. The Canadian women’s team plays France a few matches later, starting at 12:58 pm. The next session of women’s games begins at 4:24 pm, with USA playing against Japan. Canada concludes the women’s side in a match against Great Britain.

The men’s side of the tournament opens at 1:52 pm with a match between South Africa and New Zealand. Team Canada takes on Argentina at 3:42 pm, which is the last men’s match of the afternoon. Great Britain opens the evening games with a match against South Africa at 6:56 pm. The Canadian men are up against Fiji at 8:24 pm, which is just before the final match of the day.

Saturday, February 24th, 2024

On the Saturday in 2024, the women’s games start at 10:15 am with a clash between Japan and Fiji. Canada plays Spain at 11:43 am. The last women’s match of the Saturday starts at 5:01 pm.

Team Canada’s men’s team plays at 2:11 pm against Spain. Matchups after 5:38 pm depend on the standings. The final match of the day begins at 7:28 pm.

Sunday, February 25th, 2024

The Sunday games start at 10:15 am and finish with a match at 5:23 pm. Since this is the last day of the tournament, there are lots of knockout games to enjoy in both the women’s and men’s sides.

The bronze medal matches are at 3:40 and 4:10 pm. The women’s final starts at 4:43 pm and the men’s final kicks off at 5:23 pm. Medal presentations take place after.

What is Rugby Sevens?

Rugby Sevens is played at a faster pace than standard rugby. There are seven players on each team on the field at once (as opposed to fifteen), and they play seven-minute halves with just a two-minute break in between.

Scoring happens more frequently in Sevens as the field is still the same size as standard rugby, despite having fewer players. As well, the short length of the games means that many of the matches can be played back-to-back.

Team Canada Practice Video

We got to see the Canadian men’s team practicing at BC Place Stadium on September 17th in 2021 (so the day before the 2021 tournament). The following video is of what we saw.