Interim Canada men’s sevens coach Christiaan Esterhuizen has named five debutants to his squad for the Rugby Americas North 7s (RAN) competition that opens Friday in Trinidad and Tobago.

The regional championship, which Canada won last year, marks the start of the Canadian men’s road back to the elite HSBC SVNS circuit.

Relegated from the top tier in June 2024, the Canadians had hoped to reclaim their place via a promotion-relegation playoff series in May. But World Rugby rejigged the entire sevens series structure ahead of the tournament, taking promotion off the table.

The New Zealand women and South Africa men were crowned champions at the HSBC SVNS 2025 finale in Carson, Calif., in May. The Canadian women finished third, beating the U.S. 27-7 in the bronze-medal game.

The new HSBC

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