Over 60,000 fans expected at BC Place for Canada Sevens this weekend

Mar 1 2023, 7:15 pm

Fans will be flocking to Canada Sevens, Vancouver’s annual rugby sevens tournament, once again this weekend.

Over 60,000 fans are expected through the three-day tournament and rugby festival, a Canada Sevens spokesperson told Daily Hive, as the event continues to be a huge draw for sports fans in Vancouver.

The event begins one day earlier than usual this year, on Friday, beginning with the women’s tournament.

A total of 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams will head to BC Place for the lone Canadian stop on the World Rugby Sevens tour, starting on Friday and leading up to medal games and presentations on Sunday evening.

With many fans showing up in whacky costumes, the event has grown in popularity each year since it debuted with a men’s event in Vancouver in 2016. Since then, the women’s event, once held on Vancouver Island, joined the festivities at BC Place.

It’s the eighth year that World Rugby Sevens returns to Vancouver, and over 40,000 fans poured into the stadium last year.

Featuring 32 teams, the 2023 event is the largest rugby event that BC Place will have ever held.

The Canadian men’s and women’s national teams will be playing, with the men in pool play with Australia, Ireland, and Chile, while the women will face the USA, Ireland, and Brazil. Canada’s first match is Friday at 10:43 am PT as the women face Ireland.

Canada’s men’s team currently sits 14th in the world, with the women 10th, as New Zealand leads both sides of the standings.

Tickets start at just $29 for Friday’s matches, or $69 for Saturday/Sunday, available through CanadaSevens.com.

Ben SteinerBen Steiner

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