Japan And China Women Secure SVNS 2024-2025 Status While Australia Women and French Men Are Crowned HSBC SVNS 2024 Champions

Australia Women and the France Men were crowned HSBC SVNS 2024 Champions at the Grand Final in Madrid this past weekend, while Japan retained their SVNS status for next season and China women were the only successful women’s Challenger team to earn promotion to HSBC SVNS 2025.

Australia and France are the gold medal winners on day three of the HSBC SVNS Grand Final at Stadium Civitas Metropolitano on 2 June, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

HSBC SVNS 2024 Champions

In a drama-filled weekend, World Rugby got its shocks and high-intensity matches in front of a decent crowd, but the jury is out on whether this is the best format for the SVNS Series. An estimated 50,000 fans were at the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium, home of Athletico Madrid, over the three days.

Australia overcome France 26-7 to claim women’s gold thanks to player of the final Madison Levi’s hatrick, the Aussie star dotting down an astonishing 69 times this season! New Zealand was forced to play and lose to the eventual champions in the semifinal after suffering a shock first-ever loss to Canada in pool play, and in a rare weekend of Sevens Rugby, lost consecutive matches when Australia beat them after the hooter in Madrid.

Australia are the gold medal winners on day three of the HSBC SVNS Grand Final at Stadium Civitas Metropolitano on 2 June, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

The NZ women did earn bronze and gained revenge over the Canadians who had lost to France in the other semifinal.

Australia’s Maddison Levi said: “We’re finally getting some pay for our hard work which is good. It’s so close to the Olympics, we’re finally building. Having not beaten New Zealand since Perth, it’s always a tough battle between the two and I think for it to finally just click and just to work hard, it just proves that we’ve got it.”

“I think they’ve done really well with the structure. Sevens is a rollercoaster and unfortunately you can’t peak all the time being an athlete. We have full trust and full faith in our coaches and I think what they’re doing out there, it’s really showing on the field. The willingness and the courage for each and every one to dig deep at training – we call it ‘cronning.’ The hard work, sweat and tears is able to put on performances like that out here.”

France beat Series log leaders Argentina 19-5 in the men’s final, with Fiji winning bronze by beating the NZ men (for the second time over the weekend).

France captain Pauline Riva said: “I’m very proud of the team today, especially the amazing young players. We had a big defence tonight. The atmosphere and our supporters were amazing tonight. We can feel the Olympics are arriving now.

France is the gold medal winner on day three of the HSBC SVNS Grand Final at Stadium Civitas Metropolitano on 2 June, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

On the impact of Antoine Dupont: “We think Antoine Dupont is the best player in the world and when he is on the pitch we have a lot of confidence and we are all very happy today.”

Challenger Playoffs – HSBC SVNS 2025

In the promotion Challenger playoffs, the USA, Kenya, Uruguay and Spain men secured HSBC SVNS 2025 status with Canada and Samoa relegated to the regional Challenger pathways next season and Germany and Chile also missing out.

For the women, China oversaw another undefeated weekend and joined Asian rivals Japan, as well as Spain and Brazil to earn places in women’s HSBC SVNS 2025, while South Africa dropped back to Challenger regional qualifications in addition to Poland, Belgium and Argentina.

All of the results can be found here.

HSBC SVNS 2023-2024 Awards

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “HSBC SVNS 2024 has surely been the most high quality and hotly contested season in history. The inaugural Grand Final in Madrid showcased the very best of rugby sevens with more excitement, jeopardy and entertainment than ever before on a single day of sevens.

World Rugby, who have at times been pandering towards the undeniable talent of Atnoine Dupont, awarded the French playmaker the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award even though he only played three events, while Canada’s Carissa Norsten won the women’s award.

Ireland’s Terry Kennedy (32) and Australia’s Maddison Levi (65) were the top try scorers.

Olympic Repechage takes place in Monaco on 21-23 June before rugby sevens kicks off the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Stade de France on 24 July – Rugby Asia 247 will be there to cover the Chinese and Hong Kong China men’s and women’s!

World Rugby confirmed the schedule for HSBC SVNS 2025 is due to be confirmed following the Olympic Games.

Rugby Tournament News 2024

• Fans Guide To Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2024.
• WXV 2024 Details Confirmed.
• Asia Rugby Women’s Championship 2024 – What To Know.
• World Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024 Pools.