Canadian women’s rugby sevens team reaches semifinals in Spain

VALLADOLID — The Canadian women’s rugby sevens team advanced to the semifinals of an HSBC SVNS World Championship Series tournament with a 40-5 quarterfinal victory over Japan on Saturday.

Canada takes on the United States and Australia faces New Zealand in Sunday’s semifinals with the medal games scheduled for later in the day.

Canadian captain Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Florence Symonds, Charity Williams, Savannah Bauder and Adia Pye scored tries for Canada in the quarterfinal victory over Japan.

Apps contributed three conversions and Bauder two.

Canada and Japan traded possession through the opening four minutes before Apps broke through a gap near midfield and raced down the field to open the scoring.

Hogan-Rochester and Symonds each added tries before halftime as Canada built a 21-0 lead.

Williams scored her third try of the tournament early in the second half to make it 28-0.

With Japan pressing late, Williams forced a turnover near her own goal line and quickly moved the ball to Bauder, who sprinted 80 metres for another score.

Pye scored Canada’s final try after a Japanese handling error. Japan scored its lone try on the final play of the match.

Canada went undefeated in its pool with victories over host Spain, Great Britain and France.

Canada’s women, the Olympic silver medallists in 2024, placed fourth at the season-opening world championship leg in Hong Kong in April.

The world champions will be crowned in the third and final leg of the series June 5-7 in Bordeaux, France.


This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press