Vancouver rugby 7s event draws a colourfully costumed mix of fans

Whitecaps and Lions are the usual inhabitants of BC Place, but Saturday's return of the Canada Sevens rugby tournament to Vancouver meant the stadium's concourses were awash with a host of other colourful characters. 

Costumes are as much a part of the tournament as the games on the pitch. 

So, perhaps it's not all that unusual to see fans dressed as Power Rangers, lumberjacks, bananas, bagpipers and zoo animals ranging from a giraffe to a panda bear.

Among them is lederhosen-clad Adrian Sharp. While the self-described rugby fan was quick to admit his lack of German heritage, he said his plaid accents gave his ensemble a Canadian touch. 

"Just wanted to dress up," Sharp said. "Rugby is just a culture in itself ... hit hard, rock hard, drink hard." 

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Partying hard is undeniably a part of that culture but it doesn't mean fans aren't interested in the games.

"You bring the party to the game," said Rachel Smith, a cousin of current Team Canada Sevens member and former national captain John Moonlight.

"Everyone's in high spirits and ready to go, it's great."

While it's not hard to find booze at the event, it's also not hard to find families, including the Lancasters, who were attending the tournament for the second time.

"I like the sevens better because the games are quicker. You get bigger plays and it's a faster paced game," said Brendan Lancaster while flanked by his brother and father. 

It's that fast pace of play combined with an all-day carnival atmosphere that had organizers hailing last year's inaugural tournament as an overwhelming success, attracting 60,000 over two days. That reception was enough to convince organizers to open more seating, and they now expect upwards of 75,000 to attend the 2017 event. 

Canada Sevens CEO Bill Cooper says the event's international diversity is one of its biggest selling points to new fans.

"You can't pinpoint one demographic and say that's the lion's share of the crowd," said Cooper.

"How often in BC Place or anywhere in Vancouver do you see that many cultures represented?"

In many of those cultures, rugby is akin to hockey in Canada in terms of sporting prestige. 

"We are born rugby players and we Fijians play rugby because we play tough. We play hard," said Mohammed Fried Khan. 

"We'll show the world we could play." 

The tournament continues this morning with the knock-out championship rounds.