Canada rugby 7s men end 29-game losing run in bid for final Olympic berth

Canada's men ended a 29-game losing streak with a much-needed 31-12 win Friday over Uganda at the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco.

Twelve men's and 12 women's teams are competing for the last berth in the Olympic field. The fifth-ranked Canadian women have already qualified for Paris.

Matt Oworu scored two tries and Ethan Hager, captain Phil Berna and Cooper Coats added singles for Canada, which led 26-7 at the half at the StadeLouis II.

Adrian Kasito scored two tries for Uganda, which finished sixth in the second-tier World Rugby HSBC Challenger Series.

The Canadians were relegated from the elite HSBC SVNS series earlier this month in Madrid after a 3-36-0 campaign that ended with the lengthy losing streak as they finished last in the 12-team standings.

The Canada men, who placed eighth at the Tokyo Olympics, had been a core team on the top sevens circuit since 2012-13 and lifted the trophy in Singapore in 2017. Now they will have to battle their way back to the top tier.

Canada faces China and No. 8 Britain in Pool B play Saturday. Britain dumped China 35-19 in its opener Friday.

The top two from each of the three groups plus the two best third-place finishers will move on to the quarterfinals.

Canada fell behind early after Uganda regained the ball from the kickoff with Kasito scoring soon after.

Hager replied for Canada, scoring after gaining territory with a kick into space. The powerful Oworu then muscled his way over the try-line after fine work at the breakdown by Berna and Thomas Isherwood.

Berna scored himself off a lineout after Uganda was penalized and Oworu added his second try before the break with Coats scoring from a quick-tap penalty from close range in the second half.

Kasito added a