Team Canada’s Lockie Kratz passes the ball off as a Team Jamaica’s Ronaldeni Fraser tries to block during men’s rugby action at the Rugby Sevens Paris 2024 Olympic qualification event at Starlight Stadium in Langford, B.C., on Saturday, August 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

By The Canadian Press

Canadian rugby sevens men resume journey to reclaim HSBC SVNS status

Nov 20, 2025 | 11:16 AM

The Canadian men’s rugby sevens team restarts its climb back to the top-tier HSBC SVNS circuit on Friday at the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens competition in Trinidad and Tobago.

For interim coach Christiaan Esterhuizen, the tournament also provides an early look at the competition the Canadian men will face down the line in qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics.

The Canada men missed out on the Paris Olympics, losing 24-14 to the United States in the final of the 2023 RAN Sevens. The Canadians had a second chance to qualify via the final qualification repechage tournament, but finished fourth with South Africa securing the last Olympic berth.

With the U.S. hosting the 2028 Games, the qualifying path should be easier next time around.

The regional RAN Sevens championship, which does not involve Olympic qualification this weekend, serves as the first step back to the elite HSBC SVNS circuit.

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Relegated from the top tier in June 2024, the Canadian men had hoped to reclaim their place via a promotion-relegation playoff series in May after climbing out of the second-tier Challenger Series. But World Rugby rejigged the entire sevens series structure ahead of the tournament in Carson, Calif., taking promotion off the table.

The New Zealand women and South Africa men were crowned champions at the HSBC SVNS 2025 finale in Carson in May. The Canadian women finished third, beating the U.S. 27-7 in the bronze-medal game.

The new HSBC SVNS season kicks off Nov. 29 in Dubai, the first of six regular-season rounds leading to a three-event world championship that will decide the lineup for the 2027 top tier.

The Canadian women are joined by Australia, Britain, Fiji, France, Japan, New Zealand and U.S. in HSBC SVNS play. The men’s field features Argentina, Australia, Britain, Fiji, France, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain.

The Canadian men, meanwhile, open play Friday against Barbados and Bermuda before facing Mexico on Saturday at the three-day RAN Sevens tournament.

Other men’s sides competing in the top tier of the 20-team competition at Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima, Trinidad, are the Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica and host Trinidad and Tobago.

Should Canada top its pool, it will face the bottom team from the other group in the quarterfinals.

The tournament winner moves on to the next stage of the promotion road, an HSBC SVNS 3 event set for January. A top-two finish there would move the Canadian men on to the HSBC SVNS 2 competition scheduled to run February to March. A top-four finish there earns a berth in the three-event HSBC SVNS World Championship in April, May and June — and a chance to get back in the top tier.

With the U.S. not in the field, Canada thumped Trinidad and Tobago 38-0 to win last year’s RAN Sevens, with the Canadians outscoring their opposition 169-0 in five matches (not counting a group game against Barbados that was designated a scoreless draw after a downpour forced the match to be called off with Canada leading 10-0 in the first half).

“We’ll have to do it (this year) with a younger and less experienced squad,” said Esterhuizen.

“These were the guys who are on form and have the best fitness,” he added. “That’s why they were rewarded after the (selection) camp.”

The five newcomers are Harry Corkum, Ian Jones, Michael Moloney, Taine Clague, and Thomas Cuzange.

Veteran Thomas Isherwood returns, as does Lockie Kratz, named captain in his return from a knee injury suffered January 2024.

Isherwood, Ethan Turner and Jamie Armstrong are the only veterans of the squad that competed in May in California. Priority was given to the Stephen Meehan’s 15s side with both Morgan Di Nardo and Kyle Tremblay starting for the 15s Saturday against Portugal.

Meehan estimates some nine members of his tour squad could be playing sevens next year.

Esterhuizen was named head coach of the Pacific Pride Development Academy and Canada’s men’s under-20 team in March 2024. He took over the sevens side on an interim basis after head coach Sean White’s contract expired in July.

The Canadian men will be playing in a companion invitational tournament in Vancouver during the HSBC Canada Sevens on March 7-8 in Vancouver.

Canada Sevens Roster

Elias Hancock, Ottawa, University of Ottawa; Ethan Turner,  Maple Ridge, B.C., Burnaby Lake Rugby Club; Harry Corkum, Halifax, Halifax Tars; Ian Jones, Bass River, N.S., Pacific Pride; Jamie Armstrong, University of Ottawa ; Jesse Kilgour, Pacific Pride; Johnny Franklin, Bowen Island, B.C., Capilano RFC ; Lockie Kratz (capt.), Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Michael Moloney, Lyndoch, South Australia, Capilano RFC; Taine Clague, Victoria, Pacific Pride; Thomas Cuzange, Toulon, France, Pacific Pride; Thomas Isherwood, Okotoks, Alta., Westshore RFC .

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press