New Zealand's Lewis Ormond cuts through the Kenya defense on day two of the HSBC Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium on January 28, 2023.

Highlights: HSBC Sydney Sevens

January 30, 2023
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HSBC SVNS

(via World Rugby)

New Zealand romped to victory in both the women’s and men’s finals of the HSBC Sydney Sevens to increase their leads at the top of the HSBC World Rugby Seven Series 2023 standings

New Zealand win men’s and women’s titles in Sydney to extend their leads in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 standings
The All Blacks Sevens thrashed South Africa 38-0 in the men’s final, while the Black Ferns Sevens overpowered France 35-0
Fiji claimed the men’s bronze medal with a 29-5 victory over France, and the USA beat Ireland 12-5 to take the women’s bronze
The most competitive men’s Series to date with Olympic qualification at stake for the top four teams has seen five different winners in the first five rounds
The 2023 Series continues for the men in Los Angeles on 25-26 February, the women are next in action in a combined event in Vancouver from 3-5 March

New Zealand romped to victory in both the women’s and men’s finals of the HSBC Sydney Sevens to increase their leads at the top of the HSBC World Rugby Seven Series 2023 standings.

It is the first time the teams in black have achieved such a tournament double since Hamilton in 2020.

The Black Ferns Sevens beat France 35-0 while the men improved on that slightly with a 38-0 victory against South Africa for their first Cup title of the 2023 Series.

It was the All Black Sevens’ fourth-biggest Cup final win in history and helped to make this year’s tournament the highest try-scoring event in Sydney ever with an incredible 459 tries scored across the weekend.

With three tournaments remaining, the Black Ferns Sevens are 12 points ahead of their nearest rivals Australia, who failed to make the last four on home turf, while New Zealand’s men are now nine points clear of the Blitzboks after five rounds of action.

Despite being well beaten in the showpiece match, France’s women will take plenty of positives from Sydney having reached their first Cup final in almost five years.

Meanwhile, the ultra-consistent USA claimed their third bronze medal of the Series after edging out Ireland 12-5.

Fiji’s men returned to the podium for the first time since they finished runners-up in the opening tournament in Hong Kong after beating France 29-5 in the bronze medal decider.

With unprecedented floods ravaging Auckland, Black Ferns Sevens-winning captain Sarah Hirini used her post-match interview to send her love to those affected back home before thanking the Kiwi fans inside the Allianz Stadium.

The 2023 Series is proving to be the most competitive in history with five different winners – Argentina, Australia, Samoa, South Africa and now New Zealand – in the five men’s tournaments played so far.

The prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four women’s and men’s teams in the 2023 Series standings means every match counts, while hosts France have pre-qualified for next summer’s pinnacle event in the nation’s capital.

The stakes couldn’t be higher at the bottom end of the men’s Series this season as well. Following the penultimate event in Toulouse, the 15th ranked team will be relegated to the 2024 Sevens Challenger Series while the 12th through 14th ranked teams will face off against the Sevens Challenger Series 2023 winner for the 12th and final position on the 2024 Series.

The 2023 Series continues with a men’s round in Los Angeles on 25-26 February, while the women are next in action in a combined event in Vancouver on 3-5 March.

The men’s pools for Los Angeles see New Zealand, Samoa, USA and Chile in Pool A. South Africa, Ireland, Uruguay and Canada are in Pool B. Olympic champions Fiji are in Pool C together with Series title holders Australia, Kenya and Japan. Pool D includes France, Great Britain, Argentina and Spain.

The women’s pools for Vancouver have New Zealand, Fiji, Great Britain and Colombia in Pool A. Reigning Series champions Australia will be looking to bounce back in Pool B against France, Japan and Spain. Pool C sees the USA together with Ireland, Canada and Brazil.