Canada’s men and women have progressed to the quarterfinals of the flag football world championships being held in Germany. In the men’s category, despite a 37-28 loss to Japan, they finished second in their group with a 2-1 record. Due to visa issues, they secured an automatic win against Nigeria, who withdrew from the tournament. The game saw Japan’s quarterback Take Taniguchi throwing five touchdown passes, while Canada’s former CFL quarterback Michael O’Connor threw three TD passes. Their upcoming quarterfinal match on Saturday will be against American Samoa, who caused an upset by defeating the top-ranked U.S. team.
On the other hand, the women’s team topped their group with a flawless 3-0 record after defeating Japan 34-20. Their quarterfinal match on Saturday will be against Austria, with a potential semifinal against the winner of the Mexico-Spain match awaiting them. Quarterback Sara Parker was instrumental in the victory against Japan, throwing four touchdown passes, two of which were to Caroline Moquin-Joubert. Additional touchdowns were caught by Alexane Fournier and Marianne Quirion, with Frederique Morneau scoring a crucial rushing touchdown as Canada overcame a halftime deficit with 21 unanswered points in the second half.
Aside from the quest for a world title, teams are also competing for a chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The top two finishers at the world championships will secure spots in the Olympics, which will mark the sport’s debut in the program. All matches of the event are available for live streaming on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.