North America gets two international 7s tournaments in the space of ten days, as the USA 7s in Las Vegas enters its 13th year (seven in Sin City), and the Canada 7s holds it inaugural tournament in Vancouver.

For Vancouver, the news that there is a tournament at all is good for the game in Canada and the USA, and good for the HSBC Sevens World Series. Getting a stop in one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the Western Hemisphere is a coup. So just imagine how good things look when the tournament announced it was old out.

That’s it, really, first year on the circuit and it’s a sellout.

Now, there’s a caveat to this. While the Canada 7s will be held at BC Place Stadium, where the Women’s Soccer World Cup Final was held, we’re not talking about selling out the entire venue. Instead, the upper decks are blocked off using a nifty awning system, creating a smaller crowd area usually used by the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team.

So instead of selling out a 54,500 stadium, the Canada 7s sold out 28,000 for both days. That’s still an astounding achievement.

“We’re over the moon,” said Canada 7s CEO Bill Cooper. “It’s fantastic. I wanted to sell out, but wasn’t sure it would happen, and certainly wasn’t sure it would happen two weeks before we kick off.”

This even when the luxury boxes sold out in a matter of days in June.

Of the 28,000 tickets sold, more than half were sold in British Columbia. This indicates a strong local following for the game. But Cooper told Goff Rugby Report that tickets were sold in every province and territory in the country. In addition, about 1,900 seats will be taken up by Americans, with the heaviest concentration of fans from the Pacific Northwest, but as many as 38 states represented. Overseas sales have been strong, too.

“Considering we didn’t spend a lot of money marketing overseas, we’re very pleased,” said Cooper. “And because of the buzz we’re getting and the ticket sales, a lot of other supporters are coming out to be a part of it.”

As a result, new sponsors are on the list. First Nations artists are carving the trophies as support for the event and as a nod to the fact that BC Place is on First Nations ground. A local craft beer company is the official beer of the event, and has made a special Canada 7s licensed beer for the event.

It seems to be all coming together. Of course, Canada 7s has some assistance in selling the tickets, namely the sport of rugby 7s, which is pretty exciting in its own right, the city of Vancouver, which is a crossroads for cultures around the Pacific Rim, and the venue.

We won’t go into too much details about Vancouver, but it’s a beautiful city, set among a mountain range and right on the Straight of Georgia, which is the part of the Pacific Ocean that separates mainland Canada from Vancouver Island.

Vancouver has the largest city park in North American, in Stanley Park, which is the home of not one, but two rugby clubs. The city is well known for its art, culture, and food. Fans who come out of BC Place on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, will only have to walk a couple of blocks to find some of the best and most diverse food on the continent.

BC Place is, said Cooper, perfect for the event. It is within walking distance of most hotels (and also a train station for fans who are staying outside the city). 

“In fact, the teams could walk to the venue,” said Cooper, “but I don’t think they will.”

And BC Place, the home of the BC Lions CFL team and Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team is, said Cooper, ideal.

“It’s been around a while, so it’s established, but it is also newly-renovated, so it’s been updated,” said Cooper. “We have the video board, which is a game-changer right there. It’s able to provide content and entertainment and information for all the fans.”

He is talking about the giant, drop-down video cube akin to the one the Dallas Cowboys use. The PA announcers and crowd announcers will be on a stage visible in the venue, and on the video board. It will be like a TV show within the event. 

“We’ve sold out the venue,” said Cooper. “We’ve exceeded our business plan. Now we have to put on the event. The way we look at it, every one of the spectators is a client. And because most are local BC residents, we know they will be responsible for the buzz we get around the city. We have to give them a spectacular experience. We’re very excited, but now we know the real work begins.”