Canada's Ghislaine Landry runs with the ball in Canada's women's rugby sevens match against Brazil at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021.Shuji Kajiyama/The Associated Press
Canada’s quest for another medal in women’s rugby sevens got off to a roaring start on Thursday as the Canadian squad routed Brazil 33-0 in the opening match of the group play stage for both teams.
Veteran captain Ghislaine Landry led a balanced scoring attack for the Canadians, making four out of five conversion attempts and adding a try for 13 points.
“I’m pretty happy with that first performance,” Landry said.
“It’s been such a build up ... We’re just so happy to be on the field playing together.”
Olympic rookie Keyara Wardley, who came in as a substitute for the second half, added 10 points on a pair of tries, while Charity Williams and Karen Paquin had a try each.
Canada was set to face Fiji on Thursday evening, then wrap up group play with a match against France on Friday morning.
The Canadian women, led by Landry, earned a bronze medal in the first Olympic appearance for rugby sevens at the Rio Games in 2016.
Both teams brought terrific energy to the pitch to start Thursday’s opener, and the first half was a mostly even affair, with only Williams crossing the goal-line. Landry’s first successful conversion made it 7-0 Canada at halftime.
It was all Canada from there.
“At halftime we just talked about really going 100 per cent and I think you saw that in second half,” said Landry.
Canada's Karen Paquin, center, is pursued by (from left) Mariana Nicolau, Luiza Campos, and Thalita da Silva Costa from Brazil, as she runs on her way to scoring a try in their women's rugby sevens match at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, July 29, 2021.Shuji Kajiyama/The Associated Press
Thursday marked a debut of sorts for Canada coach Mick Byrne, a 62-year-old Australian national with a diverse CV that includes rugby league, rugby union and Aussie Rules Football.
After the game, Landry had high praise for the new coach.
“You know he’s one of the best rugby coaches in the world. His knowledge is second to none. So we were so fortunate that he was able to step in and help us get here and I think elevate our game,” she said.
Byrne took over the Canadian women after John Tait stepped down in April in the wake of an independent review of a formal complaint by former and present players under Rugby Canada’s harassment and bullying policy.
The review found that, while the conduct described in the players’ complaint reflected the experiences of the athletes, it did not fall within the policy’s definition of harassment or bullying.
Tait said the complaints were “all unfounded,” but resigned as sevens head coach and women’s high-performance director.