A young Ontario Blues sevens side broke open a close game early to down West New York by 26-7 in a game played at halftime of the Hamilton v Winnipeg CFL season opener.

Marcus Mitchell (Balmy Beach) had two scores for Ontario after WNY had tied the match early on. Tyler Ardron (Brantford) and Dan Moor (Beach) had the other scores in front of 30,000 plus at Ivor Wynne Stadium

Prior to the game, members of both teams helped unfurl the worlds largest Canadian flag on field for Canada Day.

“Wish it could have run longer,” said Blues Manager Mark Winokur “but the guys really enjoyed the whole experience and will look for more ways to work with the CFL. Essentially, we just produced and showed a 7 minute commercial promoting the game, Ontario rugby and the Blues, and in front of a live audience-a great return on investment for sure.”

The Blues will now focus on their season opening road trip, which begins in Calgary against the Wolfpack on July 30.