Cranbrook’s Conor Sinclair continues to have an impact in the world of B.C. sevens rugby.
Sinclair, a student at Mount Baker Secondary School, has been suiting up for B.C. Rugby’s U-16 sevens rugby squad since the fall of 2014 and on July 10 and 11, he helped the outfit claim the U-18 open title at the Victoria Elite Youth Sevens Tournament.
Sinclair and the U-16 squad went undefeated at the tournament, culminating with a 20-15 victory over Alberta’s Celtic Barbarians in the championship finale.
Leading up to the finale, Sinclair and Team B.C. knocked off a South Vancouver rep team 19-5 before working past the Utah Lions 27-17. They then ran past the Vancouver Island Thunder by a 22-5 final before edging the Utah Cannibals 21-17.
Despite facing competition up to two years older than them, the B.C. U-16 squad more than held its own in claiming the tournament title.
The decision to play in the U-18 open division was made by the team’s coaches, as they felt the unit would dominate the U-16 division. After claiming the U-18 open championship, the decision to play an age group up proved the right one for the development of Sinclair and his U-16 mates.
Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby union in which teams are comprised of seven players to a side, as opposed to the typical 15 players a side.
Rugby sevens has been recognized as an Olympic sport and will debut at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.