Fans at BC Place were treated to two sizzling, closely contested men’s semi-finals. The first contest saw Argentina edge Spain in a tight game that saw only one match-winning try from Los Pumas Marcos Moneta in the ninth minute. Spain went down to six players and were unable to recover with the Argentinians booking their place in Sunday’s final.
South Africa claimed their place in the final with an exhilarating showdown against the flying Fijians featuring nonstop action from start to finish. Fiji appeared to have sealed the win with a monumental full-length team attack that was grounded by Jeremaia Matana. With a player down and the odds against them, a last-minute try from Selvyn Davids saw the Blitzboks snatch victory and secure their spot in the finale against Argentina.
No strangers to a final, Argentina and South Africa kicked-off proceedings in their final dual of the tournament with referee Tevita Rokovereni officiating his first final. Argentina started strong with Luciano Gonzalez scoring twice in quick concession and Tobias Wade flying in with the third. The pendulum started to swing with the Blitzboks matching two of their own but it was too little too late as the Argentinians were able to defend their line and scoop their second consecutive gold this Series and their fourth overall in Vancouver.
Winning Captain Santiago Mare commented after their celebrations “We are very happy and really proud of the team for all the effort they put in. To be here, to be in a position to be in another final and win in a very tough game again against a great rival like South Africa, we are very happy and very proud.”
“We did the small things well, we have a very good defence and that was what we did well on the field and it was our difference. Our pressure and our patience showed we trusted in our system.”
The women’s semi-finals did not disappoint with a meeting for the history books with Japan encountering Fiji in their first ever Cup semi-final. They were not able to go one step further on this occasion but the Sakura Sevens put up a valiant performance against the unstoppable Fijians who secured four tries and their third Cup final place.
Familiar foes, the Black Ferns Sevens faced Australia once more with New Zealand taking the upper hand with a six-try bonanza that saw Stacey Waaka secure a hat trick and seal their place in their fourth consecutive final this Series and their 50th overall.
The stage was then set for Fiji to face New Zealand in the grand finale, the first time both teams have encountered each other in a Cup final on the SVNS series. It was a tall order for Fiii to conquer New Zealand as they chased their first victory against the Black Ferns Sevens, a team that have never been defeated at BC Place.
The first try for the Olympic Champions came in the opening minute with Risi Pouri-Lane getting the first points on the board. A flurry of three further scores saw them lead 22-0 at half time. Fijiana were able to fightback with an eleventh minute try from Sesenieli Donu but New Zealand finished strong to take the win 41-7 and secure their 39th title.
New Zealand’s Captain Sarah Hirini commented after the win “It’s amazing, we love coming here, we love the Canadian people and we’re really proud to get another win here.
“We played well as a team, we were pushed in some games but I think we just stuck to what we know and stuck to our plan. I’m just really proud of the efforts of the girls.”
In wider proceedings, Spain men secured their second consecutive bronze win this Series following 22-7 triumph over Fiji while Australia women grabbed the upper hand against Japan, ending their historic run with a 12-26 finish.
BC Place kept the party rocking all weekend and although they weren’t able to bring the title home, they did end the weekend on a high beating USA with the roar of the home crowd behind them. Canada’s Olivia Apps reflected after the win “It was a really fun weekend. We were disappointed we couldn’t get the result that we wanted but I think that that last game showcased a lot of this groups talent and really what we’re capable of.
“We’re looking forward to building to Hong Kong and Singapore and we really hope we can come back and win Vancouver next year!”
HSBC SVNS Hong Kong pool draw took place at BC Place on Sunday straight after the Vancouver finals and ahead of the fifth round of HSBC SVNS 2025 on 28-30 March.
WOMEN’S POOL
Reigning Olympic Champions New Zealand were drawn in Pool A against Brazil, China and USA.
Pool B will see Fiji up against France, Great Britain and Ireland.
Australia to face Canada, Japan and Spain in Pool D.
MEN’S POOL
HSBC Vancouver SVNS Winners Argentina were drawn against Fiji, Ireland and USA in Pool A.
South Africa will encounter Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay in Pool B.
Pool C will see Spain meet France, Great Britain and Kenya in Hong Kong.
HSBC SVNS 2025 features seven events across seven months in seven iconic global destinations. Six regular season rounds will be played in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore to decide the HSBC SVNS League Winners, before the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles, which will see the top eight men’s and women’s teams compete at Dignity Health Sports Park which will host the LA 2028 Olympic rugby sevens.
Raggedy Ann
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.
Eerie
Ishant Sharma is responsible for all the three highest scores made by a batsman against India in the 21 st century.