Argentina and New Zealand triumphant at new Hong Kong home

DAY THREE WRAP: New Zealand women and Argentina men claimed the HSBC Hong Kong Sevens titles to back up their victories in Vancouver last month and extend their leads in the HSBC SVNS 2025 standings

Argentina made it 16 games unbeaten as they edged out Olympic champions France to win their maiden Hong Kong SVNS crown and extend their lead at the top of the series table to 12 points, ahead of Fiji.

A fiercely contested first half ended 0-0, but when Santiago Alvarez crossed for Argentina and France’s Liam Delamare was sin-binned, things looked rosy for this stylish Argentina team.

Marcos Moneta made the most of the extra space to pierce the six-man blue line and make it 12-0 and, although Gregoire Arfeuil scored for Les Bleus as the gong sounded for fulltime, the contest was complete.

‘I got my debut here and last year I broke my fibula here before the Olympic Games,” said player of the match Moneta.

“My parents decided to be here with me. These are the things I was thinking about at the anthem. It is the perfect day. It is such a historic tournament.”

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Third-place play-off

Australia snatched the bronze medal at the death as 19-year-old Sidney Harvey latched on to a James Turner offload to score in front of a raucous South Stand to secure a 22-21 win over Fiji.

“It’s just insane,” said Harvey. “I’m just happy I bloody caught the thing! I’ll never forget that, it’s awesome.”

Hayden Sargeant’s try and brilliant conversion added to a James Turner score while Fiji had taken the lead through Sakiusa Siqila before Filipe Sauturaga’s 70 metre diagonal run had put the Flying Fijians 14-12 ahead at half-time.

Heavy Australian legs couldn’t match Joji Nasova as he scored his fifth try of the weekend, but Henry Paterson’s barnstorming run across midfield set up Aden Ekanayake to make it a four-point match.

With time running out, fresh-faced and fresh-legged Harvey stole the show to spark wild celebrations.

Semifinals

Argentina moved up a gear to end Australian hopes of winning the title in the new stadium.

Not only are their defensive stats the best in the business, they have so many attacking threats for opponents to contend with.

German Schulz helped himself to a hat-trick while, variously, Australia committed men to halting Luciano Gonzalez, tried to deal with a Los Pumas scrum and finally stopped Marcos Moneta but could not prevent Schulz from scoring his third.

Between those, Hayden Sargeant converted his own try and Aden Ekanayake was thwarted by Moneta, but scores by Moneta and Alejo Lavayen underlined Argentina’s class in a 31-7 victory.

The second semifinal, between Fiji and France, looked to be heading to golden point, but after a lengthy TMO review, Mateo Garcia won it for Les Bleus.

Joe Quere Karaba was sin binned for a seatbelt tackle and big Joseva Talacolo scored before Gregoire Arfeuil and Andy Timo turned things in France’s favour for a 10-7 lead at half-time.

Iowane Teba showed great speed to dot down, Simon Desert replied quickly for France, and Teba provided Rauto Vakadranu with the ball to level it at 17-all before sub Garcia broke Fijian hearts, ending a run of seven semifinal wins in a row in the city.

Play-offs

New Zealand finished fifth in Hong Kong as they blew Spain away in their play-off tie.

Cody Vai showed good skills to evade tackles in midfield and run in the first score but Francisco Cosculluela pegged the All Blacks Sevens back temporarily.

Dylan Collier made it 14-5, and while Spain back Jaime Manteca was in the sin bin Sofai Maka shot to the corner for a touchdown and celebratory roll before Regan Ware turned on the gas for the fourth and final score.

Ireland secured a season’s best seventh place with a spirited 28-12 win over Great Britain.

Harry Glover emerged from the sin bin to bamboozle the Irish with a feigned pass with his right hand on the blindside.

As the green shirts did a double take, grinning Glover continued his run up the right for a 5-0 lead.

Yet that bit of skill was surpassed by Ireland’s Josh Costello who slalomed through midfield, sped forward and chose his moment to hit the brake hard as the chasing Luke Mehson whizzed by.

Costello restarted his engine and dotted down. Mark Roche, Josh Kenny and Dylan O’Grady all scored for Ireland, while Mehson showed everyone a clean pair of heels for a late British consolation.

South Africa consigned Kenya to the bottom four of the HSBC SVNS, which means they will be in the relegation play-offs in Los Angeles in May.

Nygel Pettersan Amaitsa scored a brace for Kenya to cancel scores by Shilton van Wyk and Gino Cupido for the Blitzboks.

Kenya moved 17-12 ahead when Patrick Odongo Okong’o sped over the line after South Africa had lost possession at their own scrum, but Siviwe Soyizwape came off the bench to clinch ninth place for South Africa, 19-12 the final score.

Play had been going for almost four minutes after the gong had sounded when Ignacio Alvarez Akiki powered over from close range for the winner for Uruguay, despite the attentions of USA’s Lucas Lacamp.

That, allied to two Tomas Etcheverry scores, gave Uruguay a 21-14 victory and two series points for their efforts in Hong Kong. Both nations will be involved in the eight-team relegation play-offs in Los Angeles.

Women

New Zealand heads to the Singapore tournament next weekend with an eight-point lead at the top of the SVNS standings after winning a captivating Final against rivals Australia 26-19 at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium.

Jorja Miller produced two moments of magic to make it three Hong Kong titles in a row for the Black Ferns Sevens.

She had her teammates to thank for not only surviving but also scoring during her time in the sin bin for a tip tackle.

Tia Hinds had sent Maddison Levi racing to score with a marvellous looping pass out to the left before New Zealand captain Sarah Hirini was rewarded for being up supporting Risi Pouri-Lane as she ran in under the posts.

But three players in black were left gasping as the trio could not halt the imperious Levi leaping through their challenges to make it 12-all at the interval.

Miller had impressed on days one and two in Hong Kong but kept her best for the Final, twice spying the gap, twice having the legs to pierce the young Aussie team’s defence.

Mackenzie Davis scored late in the match for Australia.

“We knew we had to come out for finals footie and I’m so proud of the group,” said an ecstatic Miller. “We love Hong Kong and the history of it.”

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Third-place play-off

Canada claimed their first podium place since Vancouver SVNS last season by beating France 21-17 in a third-place play-off cracker.

Hawa Tounkara scored for France but her cross-field pass was intercepted by Shaleya Valenzuela to tie it at 7-all.

Skipper Olivia Apps picked up the back of the scrum to strike for Canada before Alycia Christiaens nabbed her fourth of the weekend.

France moved 17-14 ahead when Lou Noel offloaded under pressure from Apps to Valentine Lothoz to score, but Sabrina Poulin had the final say, outpacing Tounkara to take bronze and 16 SVNS series points.

“We just wanted to put on a show after that New Zealand game,” said Canada forward Carissa Norsten. “It’s an honour to get to play here.”

Semifinals

Seven tries without response propelled New Zealand to the Final as Canada were blown away by a dominant Black Ferns Sevens display.

Jazmin Felix-Hotham delivered a brace of tries, but much of New Zealand’s play came from Jorja Miller’s all-round ability.

She jackalled, ripped and ran at Canada, and scored a try too.

“We’ve been trying to find our flow after Vancouver,” said Miller, who may feature in the XVs Women’s World Cup in England this year.

“Canada are a tough team and we knew we’d need to bring our ‘A’ game.”

Australia claimed their place in the showpiece match on Sunday with a 28-5 win over France in which Maddison Levi scored a hat-trick and set a new Hong Kong record of 12 tries in a single tournament.

Wily Lea Trollier gave France hope when they trailed 14-0.

Faced down by three in yellow after a ruck, she quickly saw there was no way up the short side and cut round the pack of bodies on the turf to find a gap to score.

Bridget Clarke quelled the rebellion before Levi’s third score.

Play-offs

Fiji earned 12 series points to move above Great Britain into seventh place overall, thanks to a 19-7 win over a tired USA outfit in the fifth-place play-off.

The Americans looked unusually leaden-footed as Ilisapeci Delaiwau scored and, although Ariana Ramsey injected speed – and hope – to touch down for USA.

It wasn’t long before Seseniele Donu picked up Kelerayani Luvu’s overhead throw to make it 14-7.

Lovu’s visionary looping pass helped create the final score, a Rogosau Adimereani try.

Japan turned in a six-try display to beat Brazil 32-14, claim seventh place in Hong Kong and guarantee they will be in the top eight for the finals weekend in Los Angeles.

Brazil scarcely showed in the Japan half in the first period as the smiling attacker Honoka Tsutsumi scored two to establish a 20-0 lead at the break.

Hana Nagata continued the narrative before Yasmim Soares broke Brazil’s duck and the teams traded one more score apiece.

A deserved win for ever-improving Japan.

Spain had been limited to the 11th place play-off in the four previous rounds of the HSBC SVNS, so their match against China to grab ninth spot represented progress.

China prevailed 12-7 but had to respond to a Silvia Morales try and two late yellow cards to do so.

Their captain Wang Wanyu added to a Chen Ziying score for the decisive try.

Things did not start well for Great Britain in their play-off against Ireland.

Lauren Torley was sin-binned for a deliberate knockdown and while she was off, Hannah Clarke put the Irish ahead.

But Grace Crompton inspired a big swing in the play, scoring a hat-trick.

For all that, the pick of the scores was Isla Norman-Bell’s second where she kicked on with her right, then booted the ball twice with her left and collected to score. Great Britain won 32-5.

Day Three results:

Men:

Cup Final:
Argentina 12-7 France

Third-place play-off:
Australia 22-21 Fiji

Fifth-place play-off:
New Zealand 24-5 Spain

Seventh-place play-off:
Great Britain 12-28 Ireland

Cup semifinals:
Fiji 17-24 France
Australia 7-31 Argentina

Ninth-place play-off:
Kenya 17-19 South Africa

Eleventh-place play-off:
USA 14-21 Uruguay

Women:

Cup Final:
New Zealand 26-19 Australia

Third-place play-off:
Canada 21-17 France

Fifth-place play-off:
USA 7-19 Fiji

Seventh-place play-off:
Japan 32-14 Brazil

Cup semifinals:
Australia 28-5 France
Canada 0-41 New Zealand

Ninth-place play-off:
Spain 7-12 China

Eleventh-place play-off:
Ireland 5-32 Great Britain