Another Canada Sevens starter has called it quits following the Olympic Games. Justin Douglas follows Conor Trainor, Nate Hirayama, and Connor Braid into retirement, though his decision comes as a surprise. Douglas is just 27 years old and in his athletic prime but says the time is right to change direction.
“It was never going to be easy to move on. Rugby has filled my life with incredible people, and experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world. I’ll be forever grateful for everything this game has given me and I’m excited to take on this next chapter in life.”
Since making his World Sevens Series debut in 2012, at the age of just 18, Douglas became a staple in the Canadian side with 53 World Sevens Series tournaments played. During that time he scored 145 tries, good enough for 16th on the all-time Series list. He was the DHL Impact Player of the Year in 2018.
Douglas played in both the 2013 and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, and the 2015 Pan Am Games where he took home a Gold Medal. Despite starring as a winger with Canada at two World Junior Trophy tournaments, his commitment to the Sevens program saw him miss out on senior test honors.