Thursday, November 1, 2018 ~ LANGFORD.
[updated November 3]
The Rugby Canada Men’s Sevens team had been holding out for a better contract, and in the meantime had been boycotting their training sessions.
They were seeking more compensation but also wanting equal emphasis on their team goals as they see as being placed on the Rugby 15s Senior Men’s team that is preparing for the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifiers next month.
Reportedly there were pay cuts, not increases (according to an interview on local TV with one of the Sevens players, Nathan Hirayama). And management has set up one central players pool for the two teams — 15’s and 7’s — which the Sevens players feel is not to their benefit. “The focus being at improving one program at any cost whether it affects another program isn’t something we think is fair,” said Hirayama.
There have been some “changes and tough decisions and we’re just looking at going forward,” said Allen Vansen, CEO, Rugby Canada. “We need the results on the field from the 15s in the next month and the Sevens when the World Series starts up again,” he said.
The new Player Agreements between the Canada Men’s Sevens players and Rugby Canada as announced November 1 will be effective dating back to October 1, 2018.
The Men’s Sevens players returned Thursday to the Al Charron Rugby Canada National Training Centre, to resume training and preparation for the 2018-2019 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series that begins in Dubai on November 30, 2018.
“We greatly appreciate the passion and commitment the players have shown throughout this process in their drive to be a competitive international Men’s Sevens team,” said Vansen. “We fully support their goals of achieving unprecedented success on the World Rugby Sevens Series, and qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games.”
“We would like to thank the Men’s Sevens players representative, Mel Reeves, for his assistance on the players behalf in reaching this agreement,” continued Vansen, “and would also like to express our appreciation to Mike Holmes, Mark Wyatt and Doug Tate for their assistance throughout the last few weeks in helping the players and Rugby Canada reach this agreement.”