Canada sweeps through opening day at Dubai Sevens

Bianca Farella scored four tries and Julia Greenshields added three more as Canada won all three of its games Thursday on Day 1 of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.

Watch the playoff rounds beginning Friday at 12 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca. Canada takes on Ireland at 1:06 a.m.

Britt Benn and Kaili Lukan then scored their second tries of the day in a 21-14 win over France that gave the Canadians first place in Pool C.

Watch Canada edge France to stay undefeated:

Canada edges France to top Pool C at Rugby Women's Sevens Dubai

6 years ago

Duration 19:27

Canada snuck by France 21-14 to clinch top spot in Pool C at the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series stop in Dubai.

John Tait's team will face Ireland in the Cup quarter-finals Friday. The Irish (2-1-0) finished runner-up in Pool A, giving New Zealand a good run for its money before going down 24-17.

New Zealand and England went unbeaten in winning the other two groups.

The other Cup quarter-finals are New Zealand versus Russia, U.S. versus France and England versus Australia.

The Canada-Ireland winner will face the England-Australia victor in the semifinals.

Watch Canada's opening victory against Fiji:

Canada flattens Fiji to open Rugby Women's Sevens Dubai

6 years ago

Duration 21:27

The Canadians trounced Fiji 38-7 to open the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series stop in Dubai.

Canada is coming off a third-place finish in Glendale, Colo, the first stop of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. The Canadian women went 5-1 in Glendale, losing 28-19 New Zealand in the Cup semifinal before beating France 28-0.

The Canadian men, whose pre-season preparations were interrupted by a labour dispute with Rugby Canada, open their season Friday in Dubai in a pool with Australia, England and Japan.

The Canadian women finished fourth in the overall standings in a disappointing injury-plagued 2017-18 season. Tait's team had placed third in four of the previous five campaigns. Canada was second in 2014-15.

Watch Canada defeat Spain:

Canada shrugs off Spain at Rugby Women's Sevens Dubai

6 years ago

Duration 21:18

Canada beat Spain 29-7 to remain undefeated at the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series stop in Dubai.

The Canadian men were ninth last year. Their previous best finish on the circuit was sixth.

A top-four finish this season means automatic qualification for the 2020 Olympics. Failure to do that means having to go to a regional qualifier.

The Canadian women won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The men failed to qualify.