North Shore rugby players were all over the field at the prestigious Las Vegas Sevens tournament held last month, helping regional, provincial and national teams score big results.
West Vancouver's Harry Jones hit the field with the senior men's national sevens team as they scored their best ever finish in a World Series event, defeating Samoa 22-19 in the bronze medal game in Vegas.
Canada suffered a 26-7 loss to New Zealand in the tournament semifinals but came back strong to make the podium, overcoming a 19-0 deficit against Samoa to earn a medal.
At the under-18 level North Vancouver's Cole Keffer, a Sutherland student, played a key role in helping the B.C. elite team to a silver medal showing at the tournament. The provincial squad went 5-0 to make the final for the third straight year but fell to the U.S.A. High School All Americans. Keffer scored a long try late in the final to cut U.S.A.'s lead to 19-14 but that's where the scoring would end.
Keffer also touched down for two tries in the team's 24-12 semifinal win over the NorCal All Stars.
A number of North Shore links also suited up for the provincial U17 team that made it to the semifinals of their division before suffering a 17-12 loss to the eventual champions from Utah. The roster included Bowen Island's Niko Blomberg, a West Vancouver secondary student; Collingwood's Elias Ergas; Mulgrave's Ryan Gray; and West Vancouver's Liam Mahon.
Capilano Rugby Club and Handsworth secondary each also sent three teams to the tournament, representing North Shore rugby well with strong results in a number of divisions.
