HSBC SVNS 2024 Madrid Grand Final Championship & Play Off Pools

The HSBC SVNS 2024 Madrid SVNS Play-Off promotion and relegation competition as well as the Championship will be played from 31 May – 2 June, and following the excitement of the past weekend – all of the pools are now known.

Updated 31 May 2024 

Captain’s photo prior to the HSBC SVNS at the Royal Palace of Madrid in Madrid, Spain. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

The 2024 HSBC SVNS season concludes in Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium. as the top eight teams play in a ‘winner takes all’ Grand Final to become SVNS Champions. The qualified teams were confirmed after the Singapore SVNS leg.

The bottom four HSBC SVNS teams which were also confirmed in Singapore will play-off against the top four teams from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger to qualify for the 2025 HSBC SVNS series and they now know who they will be facing in Spain.

Uruguay won the final round of the men’s World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 in Munich as well as the overall series title and will now go to Madrid for the HSBC SVNS Play-Off in Madrid, together with fellow qualifiers Kenya, Chile and Germany.

The pools for the HSBC SVNS Play Off in Madrid see Uruguay and Germany face the USA and Canada in Pool A, while Kenya and Chile join Spain and Samoa in Pool B.

Uruguay captain Diego Ardao said after they qualified in Munich in the final Challenger event, “Our first aim was to be in Madrid. Now that we are in Madrid, we want to be in those playoff finals with whatever team is opposite us, and we need that victory. We need to win that game so that we can go again in the Sevens series. It would be confirmation that we are a great nation in rugby.”

Germany, who reached Madrid at the expense of Asian hopefuls Hong Kong China, said via Makonnen Amekuedi: “Qualifying for Madrid is all we’ve been working for these last few months, since September. Everybody worked hard, it was a team effort and we deserved it.”

Chinese women qualified from the World Rugby HSBC Challenger Series for Madrid SVNS 2024. Photo: Martin Seras Lima for World Rugby

For the women, the pools for the HSBC SVNS Play-Offs in Madrid sees China and Poland together with Japan and Spain in Pool A, while Argentina and Belgium will face Brazil and South Africa in Pool B.

The sides on the Challenger Series know the threats the Chinese will pose, as do Japan from their regular rivalry, but are Spain, South Africa or Brazil going to be able to stop them?

Madrid SVNS Championship Pools 2024

A number of XV stars are turning out for several countries in the Grand Final (although this has received plaudits from many, we can’t help but feel there are players who have helped the teams reach the final who are now missing out). In addition to playing for the title, this is the last opportunity for qualified Olympic teams to play in a completion before the Paris 2024 Games, while several will still need to compete for the final spot in Monaco at the Repechage.

For the men, Michael Hooper was ruled out due to injury for Australia, Antoine Dupont is back for France within a week of lifting the Champions Cup with his Toulouse club, and Hugo Keenan will be featuring for Ireland.

Jerry Tuwai also makes a return for Fiji in the Sevens side for the first time since the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 with coach Osea Kolinisau hoping he can help them turn things around.

On the Women’s side, GB have included Ellie Kildunne and Meg Jones after they played in the Women’s Six Nations.

The full match schedule can be seen here.

Madrid SVNS Championship Pools 2024 – Women

Pool A

• New Zealand
• USA
• Canada
• GB

Pool B

• Australia
• France
• Fiji
• Ireland

Australia women’s captain Charlotte Caslick is back after missing the Singapore SVNS and said: “We’re feeling really good. We had some disappointing injuries in Singapore but we are really looking forward to seeing how it goes here. It is winner-takes-all so the girls are pumped for a big show-down. Hopefully, we can cross with New Zealand in the final.

We are buzzing about being in Madrid. The atmosphere around the city is great and we’re looking forward to bringing that atmosphere to the pitch.

Madrid SVNS Championship Pools 2024 – Men

Pool A

• Argentina
• Australia
• France
• GB

Pool B

• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Fiji
• South Africa

Ireland men’s captain Harry McNulty said of the finals in Madrid: “Preparation has been really good, the finale is obviously something really different and the opportunity to finish off strongly after an amazing year, finishing in second place. It is the finale of the whole thing and the stadium looks amazing, with a good energy.

The pools are going to be very difficult so you have to stand on your toes the whole weekend. It has been a highly contested year. I think the top eight have all made it to a medal game this season which means that everybody can beat everybody. It’s winner takes all, how cool is that!”

Madrid SVNS Play-Off Pools 2024

Madrid SVNS Play-Off Pools 2024 – Women

Pool A

Image Credit: JRFU

• Japan (see their Madrid Squad here and on JRFU here)
• Spain
• China (see their Madrid Squad here)
• Poland

Spain women’s captain Anne Fernandez de Corres said: “It was a very tough year, we’ve worked very hard, but I think that we are in a good place, waiting for the weekend to start. We are playing to stay in the HSBC SVNS which is the biggest goal of this season. We are confident with our work and ready, taking one game at a time.

It will be a party, a festival of rugby, music, food, and entertainment. Rugby is a show, super fast, super explosive and dynamic. Come, you will enjoy a weekend full of surprises and emotions.”

Pool B

• Brazil
• South Africa
• Argentina
• Belgium

Madrid SVNS Play-Off Pools 2024 – Men

Pool A

• USA
• Canada
• Uruguay
• Germany

Pool B

• Spain
• Samoa
• Kenya
• Chile

Rugby Sevens 2024 News

• Alicia Lucas – 2024 Olympics Will Take Sevens Rugby To Even Greater Heights.
• Bryan Habana – The HSBC SVNS Series Is Incredibly Diverse & We Should Celebrate That.
• Sam Pinder – SVNS Is A Fantastic Vehicle For Being Able To Grow The Sport Of Rugby.