'It means a lot to us': Canada's Kratz delighted with SVNS 3 win

Canada Men’s Sevens captain Lockie Kratz has branded his team’s HSBC SVNS 3 win as a “massive accomplishment”.

Over two days the 25-year-old was at the heart of the team’s success and scored two tries, as well as four conversion, in the final to beat Belgium 28-10.

A top two finish in Dubai guaranteed the side a place in HSBC SVNS 2, which gets underway in Kenya next month and marks the start of 12 teams’ race for World Championships qualification.

“It is a massive accomplishment for us and an achievement we knew we needed going into the tournament,” Kratz told RugbyPass.

“We needed this win to gain momentum and put our best foot forward heading into to SVNS 2.

“It really means a lot to us as our programme gets a breath of fresh air and life. Credit to Belgium they really tested us and had a great tournament.”

Although Canada did fly home with a title, they did not have everything go their own way. On Day 1 of the competition they experienced a 19-15 loss to Belgium and narrowly avoided an upset against Madagascar.

Less than 24 hours later it was clear that the side had learned from any previous errors. An impressive 24-19 victory against Hong Kong China came in the semi-final, in which Kratz notched nine points, and subsequently locked in a place at HSBC SVNS 2.

“I was very pleased with our performance this tournament,” Kratz said. “We solved a lot of issues from Day 1 and adapted stronger for Day 2.

“I thought our defence off set piece and our offloads proved very effective. As a Canadian side we pride ourselves on our overall work rate and grit. I believe that was what got us to the final and won us the tournament, which I am very proud of.”

Canada and Belgium have joined Kenya, the USA, Germany and Uruguay in HSBC SVNS 2. Next month Nairobi will host the opening leg of the competition before further legs in Montevideo and São Paulo.

A top four finish at the end of those meetings in Africa and South America will secure teams a place at the HSBC SVNS World Championships, which take place in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.

It is at the World Championship that teams can stake their claim for a place in the HSBC SVNS Series and compete in the top tier next season.

In a previous RugbyPass interview Kratz made no secret that it is his and Canada’s intention to return to the Series. But for now only preparation for a trip to Nairobi on 14-15 February can ensue.

“A good review of Dubai will help us map out our trends to fine tune some things,” Kratz said.

“More time together is what we need most for our team, which is difficult in a decentralised programme, but there are other ways for us to connect and build off the last tournament.

“Overall I’m very proud of this team and am excited to be put up to the test against some familiar sides in SVNS 2.”