South Africa and New Zealand crowned HSBC SVNS Cape Town…
HIGHLIGHTS | HSBC SVNS 2024 in Vancouver | DAY 3
In an electrifying three-day HSBC SVNS event in Vancouver, Argentina’s men’s team and New Zealand’s women’s team emerged victorious. Argentina dominated the men’s category, achieving their third consecutive HSBC SVNS title by defeating New Zealand with a decisive 36-12 score, highlighted by Matias Osadczuk’s impressive hattrick.
Marcos Moneta, a standout performer for Argentina, expressed joy and motivation behind their third consecutive win, attributing a sense of belonging and a simple yet effective game strategy to their success.
In the women’s final, New Zealand’s Black Ferns Sevens showcased their strength, outplaying France with a 35-19 win. Star player Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was instrumental in the victory, contributing a hattrick of tries. Woodman-Wickliffe spoke about the team’s approach, focusing on simplicity and utilizing space efficiently.
Despite their success, she acknowledged that their journey to perfection is ongoing, with strong competitors like Australia and France posing significant challenges.
France, gearing up to host the Olympic Games, displayed remarkable resilience in the men’s bronze medal match. Despite being down to six men and trailing by 12 points, they turned the game around against the USA, winning 42-12. Antoine Dupont’s final try was a highlight of their comeback.
Canada, hosting the event, also had reason to celebrate as they clinched the women’s bronze medal by defeating Australia 19-14, a victory that thrilled the over 67,000 spectators in attendance.
In the HSBC SVNS 2024 standings, Argentina leads the men’s category with a 24-point margin, showcasing their consistent performance with three golds and a silver. They stand at 78 points, ahead of Ireland and Fiji. On the women’s side, Australia maintains the lead with 72 points, closely followed by New Zealand and France.
The men’s and women’s relegation play-off positions are currently occupied by Canada, Spain, Great Britain, Samoa (men’s), and South Africa, Japan, Spain, Brazil (women’s).
The revamped HSBC SVNS 2024 series includes seven events leading up to the Grand Final in Madrid, with each match being crucial for the final standings. The series now heads to Los Angeles for its fifth round, with exciting matchups in the draw for both men’s and women’s teams.
Fans can catch all the action of the HSBC SVNS either through broadcast partners or online on RugbyPass TV, and tickets for the Los Angeles event are available at www.svns.com.