The semi-finalists were determined after an exhilarating first day of HSBC SVNS competition in Cape Town, with a fresh format heightening the excitement. The semi-finalists were decided after an exhilarating first day of HSBC SVNS competition in Cape Town, with a fresh format heightening the excitement Home team South Africa dominated Argentina and Ireland to […]
The semi-finalists were determined after an exhilarating first day of HSBC SVNS competition in Cape Town, with a fresh format heightening the excitement.
- The semi-finalists were decided after an exhilarating first day of HSBC SVNS competition in Cape Town, with a fresh format heightening the excitement
- Home team South Africa dominated Argentina and Ireland to secure the top spot in their pool, while Spain maintained their outstanding performance to prepare for a semi-final showdown. Fiji versus France is set to be a rematch of the Olympic gold medal clash
- New Zealand will take on France, and Australia will face the USA in the women’s semi-finals
- Action kicks off at 09:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday, with the semi-finals starting from 13:12, followed by the women’s and men’s finals at 18:35 and 19:11 respectively.
- Fans globally can catch the action here and tickets are available starting at R250 on Ticketmaster here
The semi-finalists were confirmed at the conclusion of an exhilarating first day at HSBC SVNS Cape Town, bringing joy to the enthusiastic home crowd as South Africa triumphed over both Argentina and Ireland to set up a men’s semi-final match against Spain, who continued their strong form that led them to their inaugural SVNS final in Dubai last weekend.
The second men’s semi-final features a rematch of the Olympic gold medal match, as Fiji faces France, with both teams finishing atop their pools with flawless win records.
South Africa thrilled an enthusiastic and fervent crowd at Cape Town with a commanding 29-5 victory over Argentina in the last match of the first day at DHL Stadium, having earlier defeated a weakened Ireland comfortably with a 34-7 scoreline.
South Africa’s head coach Philip Snyman stated: “Everyone had a clear understanding of their roles and executed them exceptionally well, so I am very pleased with the efforts on day one. We applied a lot of pressure, which led to turnovers, especially in the final game against Argentina.
“We are not jumping ahead, even though we’re in the semi-finals. The group maintained good energy throughout the week. Overall, there is a positive attitude all around, evident today. That chapter is closed, and we’ve accomplished our goal of finishing top of the pool, but there is still work to be done.
“We must return tomorrow even stronger and ensure we are precise in all our actions. If we can keep our ball possession tomorrow like we did today and maintain tackle completion, we will have a successful day.”
With over 30,000 enjoying the entertainment on the first day, tickets for finals day remain available from R250 on Ticketmaster here, with a 50% discount available from midnight local time.
Dubai finalists Spain clinched a semi-final spot for the second consecutive week with a convincing 19-14 victory over Australia in a tightly contested Pool B decider. Earlier, they had to work hard for their 14-7 win over Kenya, who made their return to the SVNS series this year.
Olympic champions France delivered an attacking showcase to defeat New Zealand 47-15 after Les Bleus had previously set a high bar with an impressive eight-try 50-12 win over the USA, who haven’t secured a win in this season’s tour yet.
Fiji kicked off the day with a remarkable 10-try 70-7 victory over Uruguay, followed by a hard-fought 17-12 win against Great Britain, securing the top spot in pool A.
The women’s semi-finals feature Olympic champions New Zealand against France, while reigning SVNS champions and current leaders Australia face the USA in a repeat of the Olympic bronze medal match held in Paris, where the USA earned their first rugby sevens medals ever.
Australia withstood being reduced to just five players for over a minute while defeating Olympic silver medalists Canada 26-10 to maintain their unbeaten streak in this HSBC SVNS series. Notably, Australia’s Maddison Levi did not score for the first time in 27 matches. The recently honored World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year had earlier brought her season tally to 18 with a hat-trick in Australia’s 45-5 win over Brazil.
New Zealand, the runners-up in Dubai last weekend, faced a challenge in Pool B against Japan but secured a semi-final spot against France. The Black Ferns Sevens earlier executed an impressive performance against opening opponents China, scoring six tries – with Mahina Paul and Risi Pouri-Lane each contributing two – to begin their Cape Town campaign with a 40-10 win.
The excitement was palpable from start to finish on a day filled with world-class rugby sevens as a newly implemented competition format ensured every match held greater significance than ever before.
This new format consists of four pools of three teams, with pool winners advancing directly to the semi-finals, while teams finishing second compete for fifth to eighth place and teams placing third vie for ninth to twelfth positions.
In response to player welfare considerations and after consulting with teams, the new format is being applied for the second legs of ‘back-to-back’ events in Cape Town and Singapore, occurring the weekends following the events in Dubai and Hong Kong.
In addition to numerous Olympic medal-winning stars, many new players made their debut with 91 athletes participating in the 12 men’s and 12 women’s squads during the opening round of HSBC SVNS last weekend in Dubai.
Finals day begins at 09:00 local time (GMT+2) on Sunday, featuring the semi-finals at 13:12 and culminating in the women’s and men’s finals at 18:35 and 19:11 respectively.
HSBC SVNS 2025 comprises seven events spanning seven months in seven iconic global locations. Six regular-season rounds will occur in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong, and Singapore to determine the HSBC SVNS League Winners, culminating with the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles, where the top eight men’s and women’s teams will compete at Dignity Health Sports Park, the future host of LA 2028 Olympic rugby sevens.
VIEW HSBC SVNS 2025 CALENDAR >>
Fans can enjoy the HSBC SVNS action wherever they are worldwide, via broadcast partners or on www.RugbyPassTV.
