Canada Win SVNS 3 in Dubai: Advance to SVNS 2 in Feb/March
As the announcer mentioned Canada came a shoe lace away from not making the final two but a heroic game saving tackle by Thomas Isherwood was the difference between going home disappointed and going home as champions. It was the final play of the semi-final, Hong Kong looked as if they had crossed the line to win the match but the replay showed Isherwood’s tackle had forced the Hong Kong player’s foot into touch a fraction of a second before he touched the ball down. It was a game of milliseconds that made the difference. Isherwood then went on to score the winning try in extra time. The final against Belgium was anti-climatic but a win to claim the title was icing on the cake. Canada now enter the SVNS 2 series with tournaments in Nairobi (Feb 14-15), Montevideo (March 21-22), Sao Paulo (March 28-29). Canada and Belgium will be in the SVNS 2 along with Kenya, USA, Germany, Uruguay. The top four advance to the SVNS World Championship tournaments.
My match notes are below, and also the Rugby Canada media report. One side note is that Josiah Morra didn’t appear in the tournament and appeared in civvies during the post tournament photos, I’m assuming he’s carrying an injury and may be back for the SVNS 2 tournament. Also appearing next to coach Christiaan Esterhuizen looked to be Sandro Fiorino (to be confirmed), raising speculation that he may be part of the coaching staff moving forward as Christiaan already has the full time position as the head coach of the Pacific Pride.
Match Notes
Canada 24 – Hong Kong 19 (match notes)
Canada scored first with a carefully crafted try finished off by a strong run by Kal Sager to the line and Elias Hancock in support touching it down.
Hong Kong replied just before half, 7-5 Canada at the half.
Lockie Kratz scores a solo try, winning a penalty at the breakdown, then quick tapping and scoring. Leading by example there. 14-5 Canada.
Three minutes into the second half Canada make a major error, Kal Sager picked up the yellow but it wasn’t his fault, one of his own players, I won’t mention the name here, had a brain fart, and threw a pass into the pile of bodies in the ruck. The instinct was to try to catch the ball while on the ground and it was a needless yellow.
Hong Kong immediately replied, 14-12. They scored again with the man advantage, 19-14 for Hong Kong now, Canada back to full strength but only 2 minutes left.
Canada win the kickoff and Kal Sager makes the line break and offloads it to debutant Adam Doane who is on his shoulder, Doane legs it in with surprising speed for a flanker, conversion missed 19-19 with one minute left, nervous times. The announcer chirps in on Doane’s try, “Doane and dusted”.
The ending is dramatic, Hong Kong control the ball and look to have scored the winning try at the whistle but the replay shows that Isherwood’s desperate tackle caused the Hong Kong player to put a foot in touch before the ball was put down. A reprieve for Canada and Isherwood was the hero, but he wasn’t finished yet. In extra time he reacts quickly to a penalty given, taps and dives over the line and in dramatic fashion wins the match for Canada. There’s no doubt Isherwood is player of the match in this game, with Kal Sager a close second. Canada are through to the next phase, SVNS 2.
Canada 28 – Belgium 10 (match notes)
Belgium pick up a yellow card early, Canada make them pay, Lockie Kratz picks up a ball from a ruck on the Belgium goal line and dives over, 7-0.
Canada fail to make 10m on the kick off and Belgium make them pay despite being down a man, 7-5.
Lockie Kratz picks up the double after some nice offloads, Elias Hancock with the final pop up pass from the ground, 14-5.
Belgium scores before the half, 14-10 at the half.
Jack Shaw opens the scoring for Canada in the 2nd half, taking the offload from Kal Sager who broke through the line, 21-10.
Canada playing with more confidence now and everyone wants a crack at the line, Ethan Turner gets the ball and goes straight ahead over the line, 28-10 with 3 minutes left. That’s the final and Canada win the tournament!
from Rugby Canada
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team are HSBC SVNS 3 Champions. On the final day of action in Dubai, Canada defeated Hong Kong China in the semi-finals, followed by a victory over Belgium in the Cup Final to claim the tournament title and promotion into HSBC SVNS 2.
The top 2 finish earns Canada a spot in HSBC SVNS 2, joining Kenya, USA, Germany, Uruguay, and Belgium in Nairobi (Feb. 14-15), Montevideo (Mar. 21-22), and São Paulo (Mar. 28-29). The top 4 teams at the end of the HSBC SVNS 2 series will join the 8 core teams on the HSBC SVNS Series for the three-destination SVNS World Championship. The Championship journey will kick off in Hong Kong (Apr. 17-19), before heading to Valladolid, Spain (May 29-31) and Bordeaux, France (Jun. 5-7). Finally, a Men’s and Women’s World Champion will be crowned to mark the dramatic finale of the newly formatted HSBC SVNS Series.
Canada 24 Hong Kong China 19 (Semi-Final)
With a place in the HSBC SVNS 3 Final and qualification to HSBC SVNS 2 on the line — Canada and Hong Kong China came out with urgency in a tense, physical contest. The opening five minutes remained scoreless before Elias Hancock finished a flowing series of offloads to open the scoring. Canada’s defence held firm until late in the half, when Belgium’s Max Denmark found space on the edge to narrow the gap, sending Canada into the break with a 7–5 lead.
Captain Lockie Kratz led from the front early in the second half, quick tapping a HKC penalty to score under the posts and convert his own try. A yellow card to Kal Sager swung momentum, allowing HKC to capitalize with a try of their own through Callum McMullough. With one minute remaining, and Sager back on the pitch, the veteran burst through defenders and offloaded to rookie Adam Doane, who sprinted clear to level the match at 19 all.
Hong Kong China pressed in the final moments, but a try-saving tackle from Thomas Isherwood forced extra time. The Canadians seized control, and following a penalty deep in opposition territory, Isherwood quick-tapped and powered over under the posts to seal a dramatic 24–19 victory on Golden Point — sending Canada to HSBC SVNS 2 and into the Cup Final.
Scoring Summary: Elias Hancock (1T), Adam Doane (1T), Lockie Kratz (1T, 2C), Thomas Isherwood (1T)
Canada 28 Belgium 10 (Cup Final)
With qualification to HSBC SVNS 2 already secured, Canada played the final with confidence and flair, showcasing the attacking style that has driven their rise up the HBSC SVNS ranks. An early yellow card to Belgium for an intentional knock-on set the tone, and Captain Lockie Kratz wasted no time, darting over the line to open the scoring.
Belgium responded through Gaspard Lalli, who finished acrobatically along the touchline, but Canada’s offload game soon took control. Kratz crossed again under the posts and converted to extend the lead before Lalli struck once more for Belgium, late in the half, booting ahead, regathering, and scoring to narrow the gap. Canada held a 14–10 advantage at the break.
Belgium threatened early in the second half, but a resolute Canadian defensive stand turned them away.
Kal Sager powered through contact before offloading to Jack Shaw, who sliced through the defence to score, and Ethan Turner followed by driving over with two defenders in tow. Elias Hancock capped the performance by claiming the restart from the desert sky as Canada closed out a composed and convincing victory — another step forward in their journey to restore Canadian Men’s Rugby Sevens to the top tier of the HSBC SVNS Series.
Scoring Summary: Lockie Kratz (2T, 4C), Jack Shaw (1T), Ethan Turner (1T)
NEXT UP FOR CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS TEAM
HSBC SVNS 2 Nairobi on February 14-15, 2026.
For the most up to date information on the HSBC SVNS Series and live coverage, including details on the event format, the schedule and the latest news, visit the official website: https://www.svns.com/en
HSBC VANCOUVER SEVENS 2026
Rugby fans will be able to catch both Canada’s Men’s and Women’s Teams in action on home soil at HSBC Vancouver Sevens (March 7-8, 2026) at BC Place. Buy tickets now at https://vansevens.com.
CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS TEAM DUBAI SQUAD
10. Adam Doane (Sutton, ON) – Aurora Barbarians
13. Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders
64. Elias Hancock (Ottawa, ON) – University of Ottawa / Bytown Blues
3. Ethan Turner (Maple Ridge, BC) – Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
70. Ian Jones (Bass River, NS) – Ajax Wanderers / Pictou County
55. Jack Shaw (Oakville, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Oakville Crusaders
27. Johnny Franklin (Bowen Island, BC) – Capilano RFC
6. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Balmy Beach
33. Kal Sager (Peterborough, ON) – Peterborough Pagans
44. Lockie Kratz (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / NOLA Gold / UBCOB Ravens
18. Morgan Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Scottish / University of Victoria
39. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia
23. Thomas Isherwood (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions RFC / Westshore RFC
Canada Make it to Final Four: Face Hong Kong in Semi-Final Decider
Canada edged its way into the final four, needing a win against Madagascar in their final match after losing to Belgium. It certainly wasn’t a dominant display by Canada who looked good in their first match against Italy but then faded in their final matches, losing to Belgium then narrowly defeating Madagascar to finish 2-1 on Day 1. It’s enough to get them to the all important semi-final where they have a must win game against Hong Kong. Italy defeated Belgium so it gave Canada the #1 seed in their pool by way of the losing bonus point they collected against Belgium. Belgium will face Samoa in the other semi-final, Samoa are the only team to go 3-0 in the tournament and it’s good news that Canada avoided them.
Canada will have to reduce their errors and play a technically accurate game against Hong Kong, they gifted some tries to the opposition in their last two matches through handling errors. Little errors like not going 10m on restarts, missing touch on penalties will also have to be addressed. Canada gave up a number of long distance tries that highlighted a lack of cross cover speed on defence, Hong Kong have one speedster who needs to be marked carefully. Canada showed moments of brilliance and their discipline was generally good so far in the tournament. It’s the little things tomorrow that will make the difference, and decide whether Canada goes on to the SVNS 2 tournaments in February and March. Hoping for the best, the first game tomorrow is the only one that matters and that was their best game on Day 1.
from Rugby Canada
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team will play in the cup semi-final at the HSBC SVNS 3 Challenger in Dubai. Canada topped their pool with wins against Italy and Madagascar and a narrow loss to Belgium on day one of competition. The Canadians will now face Hong Kong China in the cup semi-finals at 12:34am PT / 3:34am ET on Sunday January 18.
Canada 33 Italy 7
Canada opened the scoring after earning early territory from an Italian penalty, converting pressure into points with a well-executed set-piece play that sent Brenden Black under the posts.
Italy responded by capitalizing on a Canadian handling error, striking from a scrum as Cristian Lai sprinted down the touchline for the Italian’s lone try of the match. Canada answered quickly, turning over possession and showcasing sharp transition play, capped by slick footwork from Jack Shaw to restore control and take a 14–7 lead into halftime.
The Canadians wasted no time extending their advantage in the second half, with Lockie Kratz darting down the short side just one minute after the restart. A beautifully orchestrated loop play off the scrum later saw Isherwood finish under the posts, before a gritty final minute ended with Kal Sager powering over from close range.
Takoda McMullin marked his international sevens debut as Canada closed out a convincing 33–7 victory.
Scoring Summary: Brenden Black (1T), Jack Shaw (1T), Lockie Kratz (1T, 2C), Thomas Isherwood (1T, 2C), Kal Sager (1T)
Canada 15 Belgium 19
Canada endured a difficult start, conceding an early penalty that set the tone for sustained Belgian pressure. That pressure was rewarded when Belgium’s Celestin Gerard broke through the Canadian defensive line and raced 80 metres for the opening try, giving Belgium a 5–0 lead. Canada responded through Kal Sager, whose powerful solo effort saw him bulldoze through contact and back his pace to level the score at 5–5.
Costly errors proved decisive before the break, as a Canadian handling mistake gifted Belgium a walk-in try finished by Vincent Hart shortly before halftime. Another late penalty allowed Belgium to close the half with possession and a 12–5 advantage.
The second half opened with frantic end-to-end play before momentum swung in Canada’s favour. Elias Hancock stole a Belgian lineout, offloading to Isherwood who finished clinically, before Johnny Franklin’s sharp change of pace around the ruck saw him exploit space and cross the whitewash to put Canada back in front. With one minute remaining, Canada’s defence stood firm under pressure, forcing a Belgian knock-on and giving Canada a final opportunity to close out the match.
However, possession was lost in the dying moments, and Belgium capitalized from set piece, sending Miguel Fachada down the touchline, the chase from Jones and Di Nardo not enough to stop the Belgian’s second effort in the last play of the match. The late try sealed a 19–15 victory for Belgium.
Scoring Summary: Kal Sager (1T), Thomas Isherwood (1T), Johnny Franklin (1T)
Canada 24 Madagascar 17
With a place in the cup semi-final at stake, Canada made a nervous start, conceding early penalties and possession as Madagascar opened the scoring through Mickael Rakotomalala.
Canada responded when Thomas Isherwood picked the ball from a loose Malagasy ruck and set up Morgan Di Nardo in the corner, but Madagascar struck straight back from the restart through Jean Yves Randriamalala to regain the lead. A late driving maul finished by Isherwood kept Canada within two at the break, trailing 12–10.
Canada’s experience showed in the second half as Isherwood, Hancock and Sager took control. Isherwood crossed again before captain Lockie Kratz punished repeated penalties with a quick tap from close range.
Madagascar threatened late with a full-length effort from Rakotomalala, but Canada calmly regained possession from the restart, closing out a 24–17 win to top Pool B and book their place in the cup semi-finals in Dubai.
Scoring Summary: Morgan Di Nardo (1T), Thomas Isherwood (2T), Lockie Kratz (1T, 2C)
NEXT UP FOR CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS TEAM
HSBC SVNS 3 cup semi-final vs Hong Kong China on Sunday January 18 at 12:34am PT / 3:34am ET
Follow the up to date match schedule here.
All of Canada’s HSBC SVNS 3 matches this weekend in Dubai will be available live on TSN+
MORE INFO
A top 2 finish this weekend would solidify Canada’s spot in HSBC SVNS Division 2 with competitions being held in Nairobi (Feb. 14-15), Montevideo (Mar. 21-22), and Sao Paulo (Mar. 28-29). The top four teams at the end of the Division 2 circuit will join all eight Division 1 teams for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series at the end of the season.
A Look at the 13 Representing Canada in Dubai for the SVNS 3 Tournament: Updated with Rugby Canada Media Release
Apparently the squad announcement will be officially coming out tomorrow [update Rugby Canada media release included] but we understand these are the selections for the SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai which kicks off on Saturday (late Friday in BC). Kal Sager makes his return to the 7s program after winning Gold with the Guelph team at the University championships. Other big flanker/centre, go-forward types on the team include UVic’s Adam Doane, UBC’s Takoda McMullin, Lockie Kratz, Westshore’s Elias Hancock. There’s speed out wide with Josiah Morra, Jack Shaw, Morgan di Nardo, Johnny Franklin, Ian Jones. The play makers include Thomas Isherwood, Ethan Turner, Brenden Black. Captain Lockie Kratz brings both the play maker and physical go forward roles to the team.
The team needs a top two finish in their pool and then a win in the semi-final to advance to the SVNS 2 tournaments in Feb-March.
Schedule (time in PT)
Canada v Italy 23:30 (Friday)
Canada v Belgium 03:06 (Saturday)
Canada v Madagascar 06:22 (Saturday)
Kal Sager
Ethan Turner
Elias Hancock
Thomas Isherwood
Lockie Kratz
Morgan di Nardo
Jack Shaw
Johnny Franklin
Adam Doane
Josiah Morra
Brenden Black
Ian Jones
Takoda McMullin
We wish all the best to the team for a top two finish. We’ll post the official Rugby Canada media release when it’s available.
from Rugby Canada
Interim Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team, Christiaan Esterhuizen has selected Canada’s 13-player squad for the HSBC SVNS Division 3 challenger in Dubai, UAE.
In November, Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team won gold at the Rugby Americas North Sevens Tournament. With the win, Canada qualified for HSBC SVNS Division 3 as part of the newly formatted HSBC SVNS Series announced in 2025.
HSBC SVNS Division 3 is a standalone challenger event featuring eight teams per gender, each earning their place through regional competitions around the world. The top two teams from that event will move on to HSBC SVNS Division 2.
Qualified men’s teams include Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong China, Italy, Madagascar, Samoa, and Tonga.
Canada will open the tournament on Saturday, January 17 at 11:50pm PT (Jan. 16) / 2:50am ET when they face Italy at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
“Training camp has been highly productive,” said Interim Head Coach Christiaan Esterhuizen. “Despite a short preparation window and challenging pre-camp conditions, including snow and difficult weather, the group demonstrated strong commitment and resilience throughout. We’ve welcomed back several players who did not feature at RAN — including Kal Sager, Morgan Di Nardo, Jack Shaw, Josiah Morra and Brenden Black — adding valuable experience and depth to the squad. It’s also exciting to see Takoda McMullin earn his debut, while Lockie Kratz will lead the group as captain.”
“We retain a strong core from RAN — Ethan Turner, Elias Hancock, Thomas Isherwood, Lockie Kratz, Johnny Franklin, Adam Doane and Ian Jones — which provides important continuity. As we head into Dubai, we know we’ll be tested against quality opposition such as Italy, Belgium, and likely Tonga and Samoa. This is an experienced group, full of confidence, and ready to compete with energy and purpose.”
Canada’s squad includes seven players from the team that helped capture Gold at RAN Sevens in November.
Josiah Morra returns to Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team, marking his first appearance with the program since the 2024 RAN Sevens. Following that tournament, Morra transitioned to the XVs game, signing with the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby and contributing to Canada’s qualification for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.
Takoda McMullin is in line to make his debut for Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team. McMullin has previously earned five caps with Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team in the XVs program.
Lockie Kratz will captain the squad in Dubai. Kratz returned to competition in November after an extended absence due to a knee injury sustained in January 2024. He made an immediate impact upon his return and will lead Canada as the program begins its 2026 campaign.
DUBAI POOL PLAY SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 17
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs Italy
11:50pm PT (Jan. 16) / 2:50am ET
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs Belgium
3:06am PT / 6:06am ET
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs Madagascar
6:22am PT / 9:22am ET
Follow the up to date match schedule here.
WHERE TO WATCH
All of Canada’s HSBC SVNS 3 matches in Dubai will be available live on TSN+
MORE INFO
A top 2 finish would solidify Canada’s spot in HSBC SVNS Division 2 with competitions being held in Nairobi (Feb. 14-15), Montevideo (Mar. 21-22), and Sao Paulo (Mar. 28-29). The top four teams at the end of the Division 2 circuit will join all eight Division 1 teams for the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series at the end of the season.
CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS TEAM DUBAI SQUAD
10. Adam Doane (Sutton, ON) – Aurora Barbarians
13. Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders
64. Elias Hancock (Ottawa, ON) – University of Ottawa / Bytown Blues
3. Ethan Turner (Maple Ridge, BC) – Burnaby Lake Rugby Club
37. Ian Jones (Bass River, NS) – Ajax Wanderers / Pictou County
55. Jack Shaw (Oakville, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Oakville Crusaders
27. Johnny Franklin (Bowen Island, BC) – Capilano RFC
6. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Balmy Beach
33. Kal Sager (Peterborough, ON) – Peterborough Pagans
44. Lockie Kratz (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / NOLA Gold / UBCOB Ravens
18. Morgan Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Scottish / University of Victoria
39. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia
23. Thomas Isherwood (Okotoks, AB) – Foothills Lions RFC / Westshore RFC
World Rugby Announces Pools and Fixtures for SVNS 3 Tournament in Dubai January 17-18
The Canada men’s 7s season for 2026 depends on them finishing top 2 in the upcoming tournament in Dubai. The top 2 teams move on to SVNS 2 tournaments in February and March. Canada has been drawn in a pool with Madagascar, Belgium and Italy. The other pool is Samoa, Tonga, Colombia and Hong Kong. The way the tournament is organized the top two in each pool move on to the semi-finals where #1 plays #2 in the other pool. The winners of those two matches earn their way to SVNS 2 and meet in the SVNS 3 final.
Canada will want to finish top of their pool which might set up a semi-final match with Hong Kong depending if Samoa are on their game or not. Samoa are a dangerous team to meet in a one-off match as they were a core team for many years and have some excellent 7s players.
Schedule (time in PT)
Canada v Italy 23:30 (Friday)
Canada v Belgium 03:06 (Saturday)
Canada v Madagascar 06:22 (Saturday)
from World Rugby
One month to go until HSBC SVNS 3 lands in Dubai
The next installment of international rugby sevens will unfold at Dubai’s iconic Sevens Stadium as HSBC SVNS 3 takes centre stage across two days between 17-18 January 2026.
The standalone event will feature eight men’s and eight women’s teams, all competing for promotion to HSBC SVNS 2. Qualification for HSBC SVNS 3 has been earned through regional tournaments, further extending the reach and profile of rugby sevens.
Teams will be split into two pools of four (Pools A and B) in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Women’s pools
Pool A: Czechia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand
Pool B: Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Samoa
Men’s pools
Pool A: Colombia, Hong Kong China, Samoa, Tonga
Pool B: Belgium, Canada, Italy, Madagascar
Opening fixtures
The action gets underway on Saturday 17 January, with the women’s tournament opening at 10:00 (GMT +4) as Colombia face Poland. The men’s competition follows at 11:28, with Madagascar taking on Belgium to kick off pool play.
View full match schedule here >>
Sunday’s programme will see teams progress to the play-offs, all aiming to be crowned HSBC SVNS 3 champions, with the top two men’s and women’s teams securing promotion to HSBC SVNS 2.
HSBC SVNS 2 will take place in February and March 2026, with events hosted in Nairobi, Montevideo and Sao Paulo, where promoted teams will face established sevens nations including China, Kenya, Uruguay and USA.
Across HSBC SVNS 2, the top four men’s and women’s teams will earn promotion to the elite HSBC SVNS World Championship Series. This winner-takes-all series will see 24 teams (12 men’s and 12 women’s) compete at prestigious stops in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.
A new era for HSBC SVNS
These fixtures form part of World Rugby’s newly evolved HSBC SVNS competition model, designed to deliver long-term financial sustainability and accelerate the global growth of rugby sevens in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
The model provides a clearer and faster pathway from regional competition to the SVNS World Championship within a single season, supported by an expanded 13-tournament calendar from 2026.
World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “With one month to go, HSBC SVNS 3 represents an important milestone in the evolution of our global sevens pathway.
“Bringing this standalone event to Dubai provides teams with a clear, competitive route towards the SVNS World Championship, while reinforcing our commitment to growing the game sustainably and globally.”
How to Watch
The Sevens Stadium will host sevens action once more following on from the hugely successful HSBC SVNS Dubai which took place in November. Tickets for HSBC SVNS 3 are free with fans able to turn up each day.
Fans around the world will be able to watch every match live on RugbyPass TV, bringing the excitement of HSBC SVNS 3 directly to global
Great win for Canada. Gutsy play by Isherwood