Argentina, Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa are one step closer to scooping gold in Vancouver after coming out triumphant and advancing to the semi-finals.
Fiji took the upper hand in a closely contested extra-time showdown against Spain that ended 21-26 with Filipe Sauturaga clinching the winning try. Their winning streak continued into the evening with an impressive display against Great Britain.
Spain recovered well from their loss to the flying Fijians to take the win against New Zealand in a fast and open game that went to extra time, securing their place in Sunday’s semi-final against Argentina.
Spain’s rising star, Jeremy Trevithink commented after the win “We’re on top of the world right now! We’re very happy.
“I think it’s important for us now to switch off on what we’ve done today and focus on recovery and what we have to do tomorrow.”
The Los Pumas have won all four of their games this weekend with an impressive double-win against France on Saturday ensuring they sail comfortably into tomorrow’s semi-final.
South Africa avenged their opening extra-time defeat against Australia with a dominant display against the same challengers in the closing game of the men’s quarters that saw them secure the final place in Sunday’s semis.
Japan and the USA faced off for the first time ever in the Cup stages of the tournament, and the match lived up to expectations. The Sakura Sevens made history in a thrilling encounter that extended into extra time, ultimately securing a hard-fought 22-17 victory. This marked their first-ever quarter-final win and see’s them progress to their first ever semi-final where they will face pool opponents, Fiji once again who they conquered on day one of HSBC SVNS Vancouver.
Marin Kajiki commented after the historic win “I’m really excited to be in the last four teams. Playing two matches on the final day of the tournament is a first for Japan.
“We have played Fiji already and we feel we are ready to play in our style tomorrow.
“We take it game by game and hopefully we will finish in the best place that we can”
Australia rebounded from Friday nights defeat to Brazil dominating against hosts, Canada in the final game of the pool stages that ended 35-14. Next up they faced Great Britain and showed no sign of slowing down with another confident display finishing 14-28. The victory secured the Australians a 13-game winning streak in Cup quarter-finals.
Fiji experienced a mixed performance on day two, narrowly falling 21-24 to Great Britain in their final Pool C match. However, they bounced back in dominant fashion during the quarter-finals, delivering a commanding 46-0 victory over Brazil and ending their opponents’ hopes of reaching a first-ever semi-final. The match was an eight-try spectacle, with standout performances from Sesenieli Donu and Mere Vocevoce, who each crossed the line twice to help secure Fiji’s emphatic win.
In the final game of the night, hosts Canada saw their hopes of a home quarter-final dashed as New Zealand secured a 34-12 victory. This followed on from the Black Ferns Sevens delivering a leading performance in their final pool match, defeating the USA 37-0. With the competition heating up, the stage is set for a thrilling final day of HSBC SVNS Vancouver at BC Place.
Finals day kicks off at 10:50 (GMT-8) on Sunday with the semi-finals at 12:30 and the men’s and women’s finals 17:05 and 17:41 respectively.
Building on Perth, the women’s final will once again be the tournament’s grand finale, taking center stage on Sunday evening and closing out HSBC SVNS Vancouver in style.
The Black Fern Sevens lead the table with 56 points picked up in the series so far and will be looking to build upon their silver win in Perth. Australia will be hot on their heels hoping to secure their third gold of the series.
It is extremely tight at the top of the men’s standings with Fiji, Argentina and Spain all level on 48 points at the top of the table.
Following gold in Perth and bronze in Dubai, Argentina will be hoping to continue their winning streak once more.
Sleepwalker
South Africa’s domestic rugby competition, called the Currie Cup, dates back to 1891 and is one of the oldest rugby competitions in the world. The competition features South African provincial teams and is named after the British colonial administrator Sir Donald Currie, who donated the trophy.
Club Nola
Sport Trivia: Who won the WBA junior lightweight title in 1986 and sucessfully defended it 12 times? Answer: Brian Mitchell. He started his boxing career in 1981, and the majority of his fights were abroad due to the political status in South Africa. He finished his career with 46 wins, one loss and two draws. His 12 successful defences of the junior-lightweight title are a record for that boxing division.