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And while he was happy the issue had been resolved, he acknowledged that the process could have been approached differently.

“Hindsight’s a great thing, of course there’s elements that we would, with the benefit of time, that we would have done differently,” he said. Having the players on board right from the start was a big lesson.

“Those are pieces that we certainly take forward as an organization.”

Mel Reeves, the Vancouver lawyer and businessman who has served as the players’ advisor for more than two years, said the players signed the contracts “reluctantly and under protest” in order to get back on the field

They believed doing so was in the best interests of rugby sevens in Canada in the medium and long term, he said.

A group of supporters are organizing a private “support group” which will look support the sport “both publicly and financially” in Canada, he added.

Harry Jones said it was frustrating for the players to have to sit out for two months, but was glad they were back on the field. (Of course, Jones himself is working to return from shoulder surgery and likely won’t be ready to play until the new year.)

And he was pleased to discover that there were fans backing them, as well as people with financial interests looking to potentially throw their weight behind them.

“It’s not ideal but in the big picture, the support from the outside has been massive,” he said. “Seeing how the public has reacted, seeing the messages, people who want to support us financially.”