By Keiran Gorsky
For Bytown Blues rugby product Sam Knowlton, the three-day rugby sevens tournament at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Senegal offers a glimpse into the future, both personally and professionally.
Despite a challenging playoff round, in which the fifth-ranked Canadians were outscored 94-5 in semi-final and bronze medal games against France and Argentina, the message from 17-year-old Knowlton was resoundingly positive.
“To be able to make it to the semifinals, competing against the best countries in the world was just incredible,” said a recently landed Knowlton in a phone interview as he waited for his connecting flight back to Toronto from New York City. “Even though we didn’t get the win, there’s so many things in how we play to be proud of.”
On the heels of the stunning success on the women’s side at the senior level, the men’s U17 team came to Senegal with the mission to lay the foundation for a brighter future.
“Our women’s team is incredible as they’re on top of the world right now,” Knowlton underlined. “So our goal going into this tournament was to put Canada men’s rugby on the map… to use their energy to bring men’s rugby to their level as well in Canada.”
Their major clash of the group stage came against vaunted South Africa – the eventual silver medallists. The game provided the highlight of Knowlton’s tournament when he scored his team’s opening try. The Canadians kept the game closer than many anticipated and even held the lead after the first half before eventually succumbing 24-17.
The hard-working Canadian bunch proved popular among the neutral fans at Stade Iba Mar Diop in the city of Dakar. Knowlton found the cheers gradually poured in their direction as games went on.
“I mean, it’s hard to beat a try against the Springboks, right? That was such an incredible experience,” Knowlton reflected. “There’s a lot of people supporting us there, so it was nerve-wracking, but being able to channel the nerves into positive energy to be able to go out and play, it was really empowering.”
The Ashbury College student grew inseparably close to his national teammates in the long lead-up to the Youth Olympics. Some 120 hopefuls across the country sent in film and participated in tryouts – that number whittled down to 24, and finally, 12, plus three non-travelling alternates, including his Blues teammate Pammy Yusuf.
Knowlton was one of two Ottawa athletes taking part in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games alongside Alison Langley, whose archery competition runs from Nov. 6-10.
Knowlton wears one of those audible grins when he remembers the congratulatory phone call when he was driving back from football practice with his father, whom he followed into the sport at age six with Ottawa Irish youth teams.
“We were carpooling back home and I got the phone call and I was so nervous picking the phone,” he remembers. “As soon as I answered it I was greeted with the warm welcome of the coach telling me that I made the team and it felt so good, feeling all the happiness rush into me, knowing my hard work paid off.”
A family dynamic took shape during the team’s weeklong training camp in Orangeville. The team enjoyed large dinners together and began to socialize before and after practices.
In Senegal, the team trained in the mornings and evenings to preserve their strength in the hot, tropical climate. By the time they landed in Dakar, Knowlton felt the group had become a dynamic, cohesive unit.
“These were my brothers. As soon as I met them, I knew that they were great guys,” Knowlton says of his team. “One thing with rugby sevens is you need to be connected always. So to have that off-field connection with our teammates, that was crucial.”
The tournament was just his second-ever abroad. Knowlton’s parents were among the Canadian contingent who filed into the stands beside a boisterous Senegalese crowd. The Canadians opened with a critical 17–10 win over Germany and downed their Senegalese hosts 40-0 after the close encounter with South Africa.
Between games and practices, Knowlton had the opportunity to traverse the Olympic village. At the centre of the festivities sat an air-conditioned lounge area where athletes could meet up and cool off.
As has been the case in recent years, Canadian pins continued to ‘sell’ like hotcakes. He was given a dozen to begin with and left with just a single one as a souvenir.
“Canada is awesome, that’s why,” Knowlton offers his theory for the high demand.
Players were also given miniature “quests” in their free time to collect special Olympic items. Knowlton found he could hardly step outside without being pulled into a conversation or an activity. Among his new possessions is a round Olympics bucket hat.
Though the last two results were hard to swallow, Knowlton returns home with something of a template for the next chapter of his athletic life. Brimming with Olympic ambition, he looks forward to playing with his new band of brothers for years to come should he earn a spot on the senior team.
Pointing to the new regional training centres in Ottawa and Calgary, he maintains an unflinching optimism for the future of the sport on the men’s side.
“We have so many programs opening up which has given so many young athletes opportunities to play rugby at higher levels with some great coaches,” he highlights. “So I’m confident in Canada’s ability to keep getting better and our senior men’s team is going to be competing for gold again and again and again.”