SVNS leaders Argentina in tough pool for Singapore
NEWS: Men’s SVNS standings leaders Argentina have been drawn in a tough Pool A together with recent Hong Kong winners New Zealand, Australia and Canada ahead of the Singapore HSBC SVNS taking place from May 3-5 at the Singapore National Stadium.
League title contenders Ireland are in Pool C with double Olympic champions Fiji, the USA and Great Britain. Pool B is led by France, who have reached the podium at the last three rounds, alongside South Africa, Spain and Samoa.
This year’s edition sees the tournament expand to three days with the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams from around the world taking to the stage in what is sure to be a thrilling spectacle.
The women’s pool draw sees current standings leaders New Zealand in Pool A with Canada, Ireland – who won gold in Perth – and Spain. SVNS league title rivals Australia are drawn in Pool C together with Fiji, Great Britain and Brazil. Pool B sees the USA, who were finalists last time out in Hong Kong, alongside France, Japan and South Africa.
With less than 100 days until the Olympic Games Paris 2024 gets underway, the action in Singapore will be intense from start to finish with World Rugby’s revamped competition formula set to deliver fans even more excitement, jeopardy and entertainment.
Under the new HSBC SVNS 2024 model, seven regular-season events take place, resulting in regular season League Winners being crowned in Singapore before a Grand Final in Madrid which will determine the HSBC SVNS champions.
The top eight teams based on cumulative series points at the conclusion of the seventh round in Singapore will secure their place in the ‘winner takes all’ Grand Final in Madrid on May 31 to June 2.
In perhaps the most competitive HSBC SVNS season ever, it is all to play for at both ends of the league table as New Zealand and Australia are equal on points at the top of the women’s standings, while Argentina’s men hold an eight point advantage over Ireland, with both teams looking for their first ever SVNS league winners title.
The trans-Tasman rivalry between New Zealand and Australia in the women’s SVNS is surely one of the hottest in world sport and whoever comes out on top in Singapore will ultimately lift the SVNS League Winners trophy, while France are a strong third.
The All Blacks Sevens will arrive in Singapore fresh from a famous victory in Hong Kong, and France’s men have reached the podium in the last three rounds after being inspired by global superstar Antoine Dupont to their first SVNS win in 19 years in Los Angeles.
At the other end of the table there will be an exciting battle to claim the eighth and final place in the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid, with USA men and Great Britain women hoping to secure their places and avoid dropping into the bottom four who will face promotion/relegation play-off’s in Madrid.
World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “It’s great to be here in Singapore for this all important pool draw. It has produced some really exciting match-ups and we can expect some very fiery, thrilling matches with everything to play for, especially with Argentina and Ireland battling for the men’s title in tough looking pools.
“This year we’ve also got the best 12 women’s teams also playing in Singapore, which is super exciting and super important. This is the first time that we’ve had combined tournaments across the entire SVNS and it’s been fantastic.
“These women athletes who play in the sevens circuit are absolutely phenomenal. Leading into the Olympics, it’s very competitive, and obviously, the New Zealand and Australian teams are leading from the top. That’s going to be one hell of a battle for the title in Singapore.”
In a huge year for the sport, the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid will be followed by the Olympic Games where rugby sevens will have the honour of kicking off the Games in Paris on July 24, two days ahead of the Opening Ceremony, with the competition finishing with the women’s gold medal match on July 30.
