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There’s no hiding it: we love the spectacle.

Two years in a row, Vancouver sports fans have walked away from the Canada Sevens more than satisfied. The show is tremendous. The rugby is too.

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And that Canada’s men are in the mix is a good thing too.

Of course, they’d like to be on top. One day, maybe they will.

That’s where the work now needs to be done.

On the women’s side of the table, the success of the 7s team in Rio — a bronze — and of the XVs team at the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014 — a crowd-pleasing second place finish — have already made for great things. The women’s game is thriving. The number of athletes looking at a chance to play on the world stage has only grown in the last few seasons and you assume it will only get better.

On the men’s side, well there are challenges. School rugby remains strong but converting those young athletes into lifetime players remains a big stumbling block. Having the national sevens coach travelling across the country whenever he can, waving the flag in front of his young prospects is a good start.