No medal and a lot of questions. The post-mortem on Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic performance and the turmoil that proceeded it is set to start.

The Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 sevens team, bronze medallists five years ago in Rio, headed to Tokyo after a turbulent run-up to the Olympics marked by complaints of an abusive training environment. They failed to live up to expectations and finished ninth. The men, first-time Olympians, placed eighth B次元官网网址� matching their position in the World Rugby Sevens Series standings before play ground to a halt last year due to the pandemic.

The performance on the field and division off it demonstrate the size of the challenge facing Rugby Canada.

B次元官网网址淭here absolutely is more work to be done,B次元官网网址� Rugby Canada CEO Allen Vansen said in an interview. B次元官网网址淎nd we have a long way to go. Our review, which is coming up, will initiate that now that our Olympics tournaments are over.B次元官网网址�

That includes ensuring Inclusivity and respect, which he calls key parts of rugbyB次元官网网址檚 value system.

B次元官网网址淐learly we have some work to do as a culture and as an organization to live those day-in day-out,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淎nd I donB次元官网网址檛 that that work is ever going to stop.B次元官网网址�

The governing body is no stranger to reviews after setbacks on the field.

In 2016, Rugby Canada opted not to renew the contract of menB次元官网网址檚 sevens coach Liam Middleton for missing out on the B次元官网网址渧ery attainableB次元官网网址� goal of Olympic qualification.

Earlier that year, Kieran Crowley quit as coach of the menB次元官网网址檚 15s team, just weeks after agreeing to an 18-month contract extension B次元官网网址� a contract length that came from the recommendation of Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 World Cup review committee. Crowley, frustrated at the financial limitations of the Canadian program, left for Italy to coach Benetton Treviso.

But this review promises to be more wide-ranging, sparked by a formal complaint from the womenB次元官网网址檚 sevens team in January under Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 bullying and harassment policy.

In the wake of the complaint filed by 37 current and former team members, an independent review concluded that while the conduct described in the complaint reflected the experiences of the athletes, it did not fall within Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 policyB次元官网网址檚 definition of harassment or bullying.

Unhappy at that conclusion, the players said their complaint B次元官网网址渆xplained the psychological abuse, harassment and/or bullying these athletes feel they were subjected to in the centralized training environment.B次元官网网址�

Head coach John Tait, while maintaining he had done nothing wrong, subsequently stepped down.

Rugby Canada has since approved an B次元官网网址渦pdated safe sport policy manual.B次元官网网址�

The controversy has caused division in Rugby Canada ranks with most of TaitB次元官网网址檚 staff leaving, believing he had been unfairly treated.

Former sevens captain Jen Kish spoke out this week saying in a social media post, saying there are players in the program B次元官网网址渨ho have contributed to the very same environment that they have gone public with regards to John Tait.B次元官网网址�

Some players, she added, had B次元官网网址渦sed their position to push their agenda by intimidating and bullying other players to a very frightening extreme point.B次元官网网址�

Jamie Cudmore, a former star player who ran Rugby CanadaB次元官网网址檚 national development academy and was an assistant coach with the menB次元官网网址檚 15s team, lost his job this week after belittling the womenB次元官网网址� sevens team in a series of tweets that were subsequently deleted.

Cudmore, who goes back a long way with Tait, apologized for his words.

B次元官网网址淛amie thankfully was quick to take them down. But you canB次元官网网址檛 take those words and comments back once theyB次元官网网址檙e out there,B次元官网网址� said Vansen.

CudmoreB次元官网网址檚 social media tirade effectively ripped the scab off the open wound exposed by the womenB次元官网网址檚 complaint.

Charity Williams, a member of the sevens team, said the tweets were an example of B次元官网网址渢he consistent hatred we have received from people in our own organization.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭he bullying and harassment that we have received for coming forward is outrageous and scary at times. This is the reason we called for an internal investigation because we havenB次元官网网址檛 been safe,B次元官网网址� she added in a social media post.

The Rugby Canada review will examine the challenge of balancing the demands on elite athletes.

B次元官网网址淎bsolutely,B次元官网网址� said Vansen. B次元官网网址淧art of this is looking at the extreme commitment that our national team athletes, menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚, have to make to be competitive on the international stage.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎s our athletes have rightly said, theyB次元官网网址檙e more than just athletes,B次元官网网址� he added. B次元官网网址淭hese are people, theyB次元官网网址檙e community leaders. WeB次元官网网址檙e very proud of that.B次元官网网址�

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When it was announced in April, the review was billed by Rugby Canada as B次元官网网址渁n independent assessment of the national senior womenB次元官网网址檚 7s program, and our other performance rugby programs, to help us understand the journey and experiences of our athletes and staff involved with our national teams.B次元官网网址�

The process is slated to start this month and end B次元官网网址渕id-fall,B次元官网网址� according to Vansen. Its recommendations will be released late October or in November.

How independent the probe is remains to be seen. Vansen says while B次元官网网址渁n independent individualB次元官网网址� will lead the process, B次元官网网址渋t is a Rugby Canada review.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e are in the process of establishing exactly who will be involved in that review,B次元官网网址� Vansen said.

Those involved will include representatives from B次元官网网址渙ur core stakeholders and our funding partners,B次元官网网址� as well as Rugby Canada officials and players.

How the Olympic performance affects funding remains to be seen.

The womenB次元官网网址檚 seven team, thanks to its medal in Rio and performance on the World Series, received $10.5 million in Own The Program funding in the Tokyo quadrennial, which actually covered five years because of the pandemic. The Canadian men, whose funding took a nosedive after failing to qualify for Rio, received just $130,000.

Vansen says while interim womenB次元官网网址檚 sevens coach Mick Byrne will be a B次元官网网址渉uge part of our debrief process,B次元官网网址� there has been no determination yet on the AustralianB次元官网网址檚 future with the program.

Former Canadian international Phil Mack will run the developmental academy B次元官网网址渋n the immediate future.B次元官网网址� Rugby Canada will look for a new forwards coach to fill the 15s job vacated by Cudmore.

The World Series is set to resume this fall with stops for the men in both Vancouver (Sept. 18-19) and Edmonton (Sept. 25-26). The women return to action Oct. 2-3 in Paris.

B次元官网网址�-

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

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