Canada Women Finish 6th; Men Finish 12th; NZ Win Both Tournaments
The women’s team lost to Fiji in the 5th/6th final, 19-15, that result leaves them in 5th place in the standings with 72 points. The USA are ahead of them by 10 with 82 points and Fiji are behind them by 18 with 54 points. With one tournament left in Singapore, it’s likely Canada women will finish the regular season in 5th place before entering the final seeding tournament in Madrid. The final tournament will determine the winner of the series, not the total points in the series, a change by World Rugby. In Madrid the top 8 teams will be divided into two pools with 1,4,5,8 in one pool and 2,3,6,7 in the other pool. Currently that would put Canada in a pool with USA, GB and whoever finishes first, currently tied between Australia and NZ.
The men lost their 11th/12th match against Great Britain 26-17. The good news is they scored 3 tries in the game, previous to that they had scored 1 try in the whole tournament. It was a poor showing by the men’s team and have fans back home wondering if they know what they’re doing and what the plan is? Which players will be available for Madrid, is it planned to play that team in Singapore or are they going to continue to evaluate new players. It was painful watching the men’s team as they set a new low in losing point differentials throughout the tournament.
Singapore is up next May 3-5.
from World Rugby
Double victory for New Zealand as the curtain came down on a sensational Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens played out in front of a 40,000 strong sell-out crowd
- New Zealand claim double gold in front of sell-out crowd at epic Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens
- New Zealand beat USA 36-7 in women’s final to go top of HSBC SVNS standings on points difference from Australia who settle for bronze in Hong Kong
- All Blacks Sevens overcome France 10-7 in men’s final, while Ireland claim bronze to close gap on leaders Argentina
- Seven men’s and women’s teams have guaranteed their places at the eight team HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid
- HSBC SVNS action continues with the final regular season round in Singapore on 3-5 May where the SVNS League Winners will be crowned, tickets available at svns.com
It was double victory for New Zealand as the curtain came down on a sensational Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens played out in front of a 40,000 strong sell-out crowd with a vibrant atmosphere to match the thrilling action on the pitch over three days at Hong Kong Stadium.
New Zealand beat USA 36-7 in the women’s final to claim their third consecutive HSBC SVNS gold taking them above Australia to the top of the standings with one regular season event remaining in Singapore.
Meanwhile the All Blacks Sevens won a tense men’s final 10-7 against France to defend their Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens title, win their first SVNS title of the season, and complete a tournament double.
Michaela Blyde scored a hat-trick as the Black Ferns Sevens proved too strong for a USA side making their first women’s final appearance of the season following an impressive 19-5 victory over France in the semi-final.
New Zealand hattrick hero Blyde who was playing her fiftieth SVNS tournament said: “To come back with back-to-back wins in Hong Kong is really special. We’re really proud of the way we performed today.
“We obviously weren’t impressed or happy with how we performed at the start of the season. We had a lot of things that we needed to work on.
“We just need to bring it back to basics. There are a lot of teams that are starting to develop their skillset very quickly so for us we just wanted to stay on top of the game by being the best versions of ourselves, doing the simple things right, width-to-width, good accuracy with our passes and to try and be fitter and faster than most teams.
“As soon as you bring some speed and fitness into the game, you take control of momentum. If we can keep on top of that in our team, we can hopefully continue this constancy moving on into the Olympics.”
Australia had earlier lost to their trans-Tasman rivals 28-14 in the last four, but pulled off a thrilling 24-21 comeback win over France to take bronze. They now sit equal with New Zealand in the series standings on 106 points, but drop to second on points difference.
The first half of the men’s final ended 0-0, but a try from veteran Scott Curry broke the deadlock, a second from Cody Vai after a French mistake securing the gold medal for New Zealand despite a late French consolation. The silver medal is France’s third podium finish in a row as the team continues to show great promise ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which kick off in just 120 days time.
New Zealand try scorer Cody Vai said: “I think it’s a bit more special than winning last year. Some of the boys in this team right now have never won a Hong Kong. To win it with them is a better feeling because they’ve been in the team for a while and this was one of their goals and I’m happy to achieve it with them. It’s all in the team. They’re making it easier for me. They do their job, I do my job and its teamwork.”
“It means a lot to us. Hong Kong is one of the ones that we want to turn around and (we’ll) probably go up from there until the Olympics. This is not it. This is part of the journey and the end journey is obviously the Olympics.”
In the bronze final, a first-half brace from Hugo Lennox secured the bronze medal for Ireland as they beat Australia by 14-5 to keep up the pressure on HSBC SVNS leaders Argentina going into the final round in Singapore.
Elsewhere in the women’s competition Great Britain beat Brazil 14-5 to cement eighth spot in the series standings and their hopes of making the Grand Final in Brazil, while Japan beat Ireland 12-5 with a late score for a season-best finish of seventh.
The new look HSBC SVNS 2024 features seven regular season events – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Singapore – before the Grand Final in Madrid.
The men’s and women’s team with the most cumulative points after seven rounds will claim the title of SVNS 2024 League Winners, while the top eight placed teams will earn their place in the new ‘winner takes all’ Grand Final, where the men’s and women’s SVNS Champions will be crowned in Madrid on 31 May to 2 June.
VIEW CURRENT SVNS 2024 STANDINGS >>
On arrival in Hong Kong Argentina held a 20 point lead in the men’s standings, having claimed three gold and one silver medals from the opening four rounds. But after a ninth place finish in Hong Kong their lead has been cut to just eight points from Ireland, meaning they will become HSBC SVNS League Champions if they finish fourth or higher in Singapore, or finish less than eight ranking points behind Ireland.
Argentina currently sit on 94 points, ahead Ireland on 86 points. Double Olympic Champions Fiji are third on 76 points, ahead of France on 74 points and Hong Kong winners New Zealand on 73 points.
New Zealand and Australia are tied on 106 points after six rounds in the women’s standings to set up a thrilling climax to the women’s competition in Singapore, with the Black Ferns Sevens currently claiming top spot on points difference. Olympic hosts France are in third on 88 points ahead of Hong Kong finalists the USA on 82 points.
The results in Hong Kong mean that in both men’s and women’s competitions seven of the eight teams are now confirmed for the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid. Ireland, Fiji, France, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa join Argentina in the men’s tournament. The USA currently occupy eighth position and will look to confirm their place at the final regular season round in Singapore.
In the women’s event, USA, Canada, Ireland and Fiji join Australia, New Zealand and France in confirming their places at the Grand Final in Madrid. The eighth and final spot will be decided at the seventh and last regular season round in Singapore, as current eighth seed Great Britain hold a two point lead over ninth-seed Brazil.
The HSBC SVNS action continues with the final regular season round at the National Stadium in Singapore on 3-5 May where the SVNS League Winners will be crowned. Before the winner takes all HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid on 31 May – 2 June. Tickets are available from www.svns.com.
You can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or online on RugbyPass TV.
Canada Women Fall to NZ in Cup QF, Compete in 5th/6th Match vs Fiji; Men Lose to Argentina in 9th Semi-Final, Compete in 11th/12th Match vs Great Britain
Even though the Canadian women won their pool, defeated USA 12-5 in the final pool game, they ended up with NZ in the QF while USA got the much easier draw against Fiji in the QF. It made no sense. Canada lost to NZ 26-5 and now will face Fiji in the 5th/6th match.
The men’s team continue to struggle, they lost to Australia 31-0 in the final pool match to put their point differential at an embarrassing -102, by far the worst in any tournament this season. They then lost 21-0 to Argentina in the 9th place semi-final and now will face Great Britain in the 11th/12th match.
Canada Women 2-0 on Day 1 of Pool Play; Men 0-2
Day 1 at the Hong Kong 7s went pretty well as expected, the women won their two pool matches, setting up the pool decider against USA on Day 2. The men were pummelled in their first two pool games so they have an 0-2 record and a -71 point differential.
The women defeated Japan 24-5 and Spain 14-7, they’ll face USA at 6:53pm today in the final pool match. The men lost to France 31-0 and Fiji 45-5, they’ll face Australia at 10:20pm today. The one bright spot for the men was Morgan di Nardo scoring his first try on the series.
Canada Name Teams for Hong Kong 7s April 5th to 7th
The Canadian women have named a strong team for Hong Kong as they build for the Grand Final tournament in Madrid and then the Olympics in July. They know they’ll be in both of those events. The Canadian men are in a different position, they know they’ll miss the Grand Final in Madrid, they’ll be in the relegation tournament and they still haven’t qualified for the Olympics, they have a repechage tournament to face. Consequently they’ve named an experimental team designed to identify any latent talent that could help them through the hurdles they face in the near future.
The women’s team have brought back Charity Williams, Pam Buisa, Shalaya Valenzuela and Julia Greenshields. Missing from the last tournament in LA are Breanne Nicholas, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley, Taylor Perry. Jack Hanratty has a lot of options to choose from going into Madrid and Paris. Canada’s pool includes Japan, Spain and USA. They look a solid bet to make the Cup round.
The men are in a pool with Fiji, France, and Australia. It will be an uphill battle to get into the Cup round against three top teams. There are a number of changes as coach Sean White looks for a hidden gem prior to Madrid. Missing are Max Stewart, Thomas Isherwood, Liam Bowman, Noah Flesch, Jack Carson. In are Jack McCarthy, D’Shawn Bowen, Jesse Kilgour, Morgan di Nardo and returning is Phil Berna. Key players still missing are Matt Oworu, Cooper Coats, Lockie Kratz, Brock Webster, David Richard. Ciaran Breen was announced as moving to the 7s program when the Arrows folded but hasn’t been selected yet.
from Rugby Canada
Head Coaches Jack Hanratty and Sean White have named the Canadian Women’s and Men’s Sevens Teams that will compete at the 2024 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the sixth stop of the HSBC SVNS series.
Taking place over April 5 to 7, this year will mark the 30th anniversary of the tournament and the final time it will be held at Hong Kong Stadium, with the event moving to Kai Tak Sports Park in 2025. For this milestone edition of Hong Kong Sevens, Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team will compete in Pool C against Japan, Spain and the United States, with Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team competing in Pool A against Australia, Fiji and France.
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team, who are currently fifth in the HSBC SVNS standings, progressed to the semi-finals at the last two stops of the series, winning bronze in Vancouver with an electrifying 19-14 win over Australia and finishing fourth in Los Angeles.
Olympians Julia Greenshields and Pamphinette Buisa will compete in their first tournament of the season in Hong Kong, with the team also seeing the return of Charity Williams, who did not compete in Los Angeles due to injury, and Shalaya Valenzuela.
Two players could hit the 100 point milestone for the season while in Hong Kong. Chloe Daniels leads the team with 89 points, followed by Krissy Scurfield with 85 points from her team-leading 17 tries.
“There’s a lot to build on from our performances in Vancouver and Los Angeles. We are proud of what we have accomplished this season, but we know that there is still huge room to grow as we look to guarantee our spot in the Grand Final in Madrid while also building to be at our best at the Paris Olympic Games,” said Jack Hanratty, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team. “Every player in our program, regardless of who is named to the travelling roster, has continued to demonstrate commitment and focus, with preparation for each tournament being a true team effort. We look forward to returning to the international stage in Hong Kong and implementing what we’ve worked on this training block.”
Three players on Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team are set to make their international sevens debut in Hong Kong, Jack McCarthy, Jesse Kilgour and Morgan Di Nardo. McCarthy, who represented Memorial University at the 2023 Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (CUMRC), played with the Canada Selects this past February against the MLR’s Seattle Seawolves, as did Kilgour, who joins the sevens team from Rugby Canada’s Pacific Pride Development Academy.
Last summer, Di Nardo captained Canada’s U18 Men’s Sevens Team at the Youth Commonwealth Games and represented Canada’s U18 Men’s Rugby Team in Amsterdam. He followed this up with a strong rookie season with the University of Victoria and was named a First Team Tournament All-Star at the 2023 CUMRC.
“It’s always special when players earn the opportunity to gain their first cap in our program,” said Sean White, Head Coach of Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team. “Jack McCarthy’s speed and physicality stand out in training and his aerial skills offer us more opportunity to gain valuable possessions. Jesse Kilgour’s attacking instincts and ability to make defenders miss has shown up on the training pitch, so we are excited to see that transfer to the games in Hong Kong. Morgan Di Nardo has been a standout player with UVic this season, and we are happy to have a relationship with UVic allowing him to join us during a pivotal time in their season and in his school year.”
D’Shawn Bowen returns to international sevens competition for the first time since last January after spending 2023 with the Toronto Arrows. A recent signing with the new Vancouver Highlanders, Bowen was named to Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s travelling squad for last summer’s tour in Fiji and Tonga and played with the Canada Selects against the Seawolves in February.
“D’Shawn’s compact power and the excitement he brings to our attack with ball in hand is unmistakable. Credit to him for staying hungry and motivated in his training with James Bay. Our group has loved having him back in the mix these past few weeks” said White. “We remain focused on the task at hand in Hong Kong. It proves to be another opportunity to test ourselves and our systems as part of our journey towards Madrid and Monaco, however our eyes are set on facing France, Fiji and Australia in a week’s time.”
HONG KONG POOL PLAY SCHEDULE
Friday April 5
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team vs Japan
7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET (Thursday April 4) / 10:30 a.m. local time
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team vs Spain
10:34 p.m. PT (Thursday April 4) / 1:34 a.m. ET / 1:34 p.m. local time
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs France
2:56 a.m. PT / 5:56 a.m. ET / 5:56 p.m. local time
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs Fiji
5:33 a.m. PT / 8:33 a.m. ET / 8:33 p.m. local time
Saturday April 6
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team vs USA
6:53 p.m. PT / 9:53 p.m. ET (Friday April 5) / 9:53 a.m. local time
Canada’s Men’s Sevens Team vs Australia
10:20 p.m. PT (Friday April 5) / 1:20 a.m. ET / 1:20 p.m. local time
MORE INFO
For the most up to date information on the HSBC SVNS Series and live coverage, including details on the event format, the schedule and the latest news, visit the official website: www.svns.com.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S SEVENS ROSTER
5. Julia Greenshields (Sarnia, ON) – Sarnia Saints
6. Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) – Markham Irish
10. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC
11. Piper Logan (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Hornets / University of British Columbia
13. Krissy Scurfield (Canmore, AB) – University of Victoria
15. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
16. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC
19. Carissa Norsten (Waldheim, SK) – Kirin RFC / University of Victoria
21. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
22. Sabrina Poulin (St-Georges, QC) – TMRRFC/Eibar Rugby Taldea
23. Shalaya Valenzuela (Abbotsford, BC) – Abbotsford RFC
77. Chloe Daniels (Sutton, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Queen’s University
99. Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish / University of Victoria
CANADA’S MEN’S SEVENS ROSTER
4. Phil Berna (Vancouver, BC) – Vancouver Rowing Club
5. Alex Russell (Chichester, ENG) – McGill University
6. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – Castaway Wanderers / Toronto Saracens
13. Jack McCarthy (St. John’s, NL) – Memorial University
14. D’Shawn Bowen (Toronto, ON) – James Bay AA / Vancouver Highlanders
15. Ethan Hager (Brantford, ON) – Brantford Harlequins
17. Jesse Kilgour (Barrie, ON) – Barrie RFC / Pacific Pride
18. Morgan Di Nardo (Toronto, ON) – Toronto City Rugby / University of Victoria
24. Kobe Faust (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Gryphons
33. Kal Sager (Peterborough, ON) – Peterborough Pagans / Trent University
59. Cody Nhanala (Ottawa, ON) – Ottawa Ospreys / Pacific Pride
64. Elias Hancock (Ottawa, ON) – Bytown Blues
88. Matt Percillier (Victoria, BC) – University of British Columbia
Men’s program is in shambles.