{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/world-rugby-sevens/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/world-rugby-sevens/", "feed_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/world-rugby-sevens/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "World Rugby Sevens Archives - Asia Rugby", "description": "Regional Association of the Governing Body for the Global Game", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9298", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/03/03/hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-hits-major-milestone/", "title": "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series hits major milestone", "content_html": "

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will celebrate a special milestone this weekend with the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver being the 200th men\u2019s tournament in the competition\u2019s storied history. We take a look at how the competition has evolved.

\n

On 2 December, 1999 the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series was born in Dubai.

\n

Fittingly, current men\u2019s Series leaders New Zealand had the honour of competing in the very first match and former sevens star turned World Rugby commentator Karl Te Nana scored in a 14-0 win against Tonga.

\n

To this day, Te Nana remembers the thrill of being involved from the very first blast of Australian referee George Ayoub\u2019s whistle.

\n

\u201cWhen the Series first launched, there was so much excitement amongst all the countries to have an organised series created,\u201d he said.

\n

\u201cThe chance to continuously match yourself against the best in the world in 10 tournaments was a real new and fresh concept that both players and fans gravitated to.\u201d

\n

Dubai is one of the two original venues still used to this day (Hong Kong is the other) and was also the location for the opening tournament when the women\u2019s Series was launched in 2012-13.

\n
\n

We go again in Vancouver! \"\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\"

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\"\ud83d\udcc6\" 3-5 March

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\"\ud83c\udf9f\" Get your tickets to #Canada7s: https://t.co/deBxy6tqyi#HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/CjDVjTF5nh

\n

\u2014 World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) February 28, 2023

\n

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For Te Nana, it was a natural choice as the launchpad for the Series because it was already a renowned sevens destination.

\n

\u201cThe first tournament in Dubai was always a vibe because of its already established history. It was like playing in a major at golf,\u201d he said.

\n

\u201cSo when New Zealand had the honour to play the first game of the Series against Tonga, we as a team knew the significance of that, and for me to score the first try ever on the World Sevens Series, at the time I didn’t take much notice but now as I look back, I’m very proud of that moment.\u201d

\n

New Zealand went on to be crowned champions in that first tournament in Dubai following a 38-14 win over Fiji, another of the sport\u2019s powerhouses long before the Series was initiated.

\n

SOUTHERN DOMINANCE

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A fierce rivalry had already developed between the countries from the first two editions of Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993 and 1997 and that was translated into the Series.

\n

Those two countries claimed all the titles on offer between them throughout the inaugural Series and, by the end of it all, the All Blacks Sevens came out on top in the final standings by just six points.

\n

It was the first of six consecutive overall Series titles for New Zealand, who won just over half (26) of the first 50 tournaments played.

\n

Of the 30 different nations that have played and scored in the Series, New Zealand and Fiji are to date the only ones to reach 3,000 points.

\n

Fiji became Series champions for the first time in 2005-06 but it was still New Zealand who largely held the upper hand as the Series continued to grow, their run of seven consecutive tournament wins between London in 2007 to Hong Kong the following year being a record that still exists today.

\n

BLITZBOKS\u2019 BREAKTHROUGH

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2009 was not only a significant year for sevens in terms of it winning the vote to become an Olympic sport but it also marked the emergence of South Africa as a threat to New Zealand and Fiji, the Blitzboks claiming the first of their four Series titles that year.

\n

Samoa threw their hat into the ring by taking the next title in 2010 and England were always a threat with record Series points scorer Ben Gollings dictating play. But for the most part, it was New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa who continued to fight it out for top honours.

\n

The next 11 Series titles, from 2011 to 2021, were shared by the southern hemisphere trio with New Zealand claiming five, and Fiji and South Africa three apiece, the latter benefitting from the absence of their main rivals due to COVID-19 in their 2021 Series win.

\n

For a 10-year period between 2004 and 2014, that trio and England, Samoa, Argentina, Australia and France were the only teams to win a tournament in the Series.

\n

But as sevens\u2019 Olympics debut in Rio in 2016 drew ever closer new teams came to the fore with the USA enjoying the first of their three tournament successes in London in the 2014-15 Series. Over the next two years, they were joined by Scotland and Canada in adding their names to the roll of honour.

\n

In total, 12 different teams have now won a tournament in the Series.

\n

With the general competitiveness of sevens going up several notches following the sport\u2019s inclusion in the Olympic Games, New Zealand\u2019s almost total dominance from those early years will be very hard to replicate.

\n

But while Australia became the first new overall Series winner in 12 years in 2022, the All Blacks Sevens remain the team to beat in most people\u2019s eyes.

\n

Their overall tally of 64 tournament wins, and 100-plus \u00a0final appearances, from the 199 men\u2019s tournaments played to date easily eclipses what any of the other teams can muster.

\n

Fiji are next best with 44 tournament wins and South Africa are third on 40.

\n

A SHOWCASE FOR SKILLS

\n

Once considered a means of improving fitness for 15s or for an end-of-season jamboree, sevens has become huge in its own right and the Series has played a big part in its evolution into an Olympic sport that helps spread the rugby gospel far and wide.

\n

Ever-evolving, the Series will be remodelled next year and will include seven festival-style events, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, featuring the 12 best men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams in the world.

\n

Te Nana was one of the first to leave his mark on the Series and is still taken aback by how big and far-reaching it has become.

\n

\u201cIt’s amazing how from the inception to what the beast of a product and spectacle the sevens has become. It is just amazing,\u201d he said.

\n

\u201cWorld Rugby have done a fantastic job creating a platform for men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams and athletes to thrive and showcase their abilities to help connect, inspire and bring joy to audiences across the globe.\u201d

\n

The post HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series hits major milestone appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will celebrate a special milestone this weekend with the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver being the 200th men\u2019s tournament in the competition\u2019s storied history. We take a look at how the competition has evolved.\nOn 2 December, 1999 the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series was born in Dubai.\nFittingly, current men\u2019s Series leaders New Zealand had the honour of competing in the very first match and former sevens star turned World Rugby commentator Karl Te Nana scored in a 14-0 win against Tonga.\nTo this day, Te Nana remembers the thrill of being involved from the very first blast of Australian referee George Ayoub\u2019s whistle.\n\u201cWhen the Series first launched, there was so much excitement amongst all the countries to have an organised series created,\u201d he said.\n\u201cThe chance to continuously match yourself against the best in the world in 10 tournaments was a real new and fresh concept that both players and fans gravitated to.\u201d\nDubai is one of the two original venues still used to this day (Hong Kong is the other) and was also the location for the opening tournament when the women\u2019s Series was launched in 2012-13.\n\nWe go again in Vancouver! \n 3-5 March\n Get your tickets to #Canada7s: https://t.co/deBxy6tqyi#HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/CjDVjTF5nh\n\u2014 World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) February 28, 2023\n\nFor Te Nana, it was a natural choice as the launchpad for the Series because it was already a renowned sevens destination.\n\u201cThe first tournament in Dubai was always a vibe because of its already established history. It was like playing in a major at golf,\u201d he said.\n\u201cSo when New Zealand had the honour to play the first game of the Series against Tonga, we as a team knew the significance of that, and for me to score the first try ever on the World Sevens Series, at the time I didn’t take much notice but now as I look back, I’m very proud of that moment.\u201d\nNew Zealand went on to be crowned champions in that first tournament in Dubai following a 38-14 win over Fiji, another of the sport\u2019s powerhouses long before the Series was initiated.\nSOUTHERN DOMINANCE\nA fierce rivalry had already developed between the countries from the first two editions of Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993 and 1997 and that was translated into the Series.\nThose two countries claimed all the titles on offer between them throughout the inaugural Series and, by the end of it all, the All Blacks Sevens came out on top in the final standings by just six points.\nIt was the first of six consecutive overall Series titles for New Zealand, who won just over half (26) of the first 50 tournaments played.\nOf the 30 different nations that have played and scored in the Series, New Zealand and Fiji are to date the only ones to reach 3,000 points.\nFiji became Series champions for the first time in 2005-06 but it was still New Zealand who largely held the upper hand as the Series continued to grow, their run of seven consecutive tournament wins between London in 2007 to Hong Kong the following year being a record that still exists today.\nBLITZBOKS\u2019 BREAKTHROUGH\n2009 was not only a significant year for sevens in terms of it winning the vote to become an Olympic sport but it also marked the emergence of South Africa as a threat to New Zealand and Fiji, the Blitzboks claiming the first of their four Series titles that year.\nSamoa threw their hat into the ring by taking the next title in 2010 and England were always a threat with record Series points scorer Ben Gollings dictating play. But for the most part, it was New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa who continued to fight it out for top honours.\nThe next 11 Series titles, from 2011 to 2021, were shared by the southern hemisphere trio with New Zealand claiming five, and Fiji and South Africa three apiece, the latter benefitting from the absence of their main rivals due to COVID-19 in their 2021 Series win.\nFor a 10-year period between 2004 and 2014, that trio and England, Samoa, Argentina, Australia and France were the only teams to win a tournament in the Series.\nBut as sevens\u2019 Olympics debut in Rio in 2016 drew ever closer new teams came to the fore with the USA enjoying the first of their three tournament successes in London in the 2014-15 Series. Over the next two years, they were joined by Scotland and Canada in adding their names to the roll of honour.\nIn total, 12 different teams have now won a tournament in the Series.\nWith the general competitiveness of sevens going up several notches following the sport\u2019s inclusion in the Olympic Games, New Zealand\u2019s almost total dominance from those early years will be very hard to replicate.\nBut while Australia became the first new overall Series winner in 12 years in 2022, the All Blacks Sevens remain the team to beat in most people\u2019s eyes.\nTheir overall tally of 64 tournament wins, and 100-plus \u00a0final appearances, from the 199 men\u2019s tournaments played to date easily eclipses what any of the other teams can muster.\nFiji are next best with 44 tournament wins and South Africa are third on 40.\nA SHOWCASE FOR SKILLS\nOnce considered a means of improving fitness for 15s or for an end-of-season jamboree, sevens has become huge in its own right and the Series has played a big part in its evolution into an Olympic sport that helps spread the rugby gospel far and wide.\nEver-evolving, the Series will be remodelled next year and will include seven festival-style events, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, featuring the 12 best men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams in the world.\nTe Nana was one of the first to leave his mark on the Series and is still taken aback by how big and far-reaching it has become.\n\u201cIt’s amazing how from the inception to what the beast of a product and spectacle the sevens has become. It is just amazing,\u201d he said.\n\u201cWorld Rugby have done a fantastic job creating a platform for men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams and athletes to thrive and showcase their abilities to help connect, inspire and bring joy to audiences across the globe.\u201d\nThe post HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series hits major milestone appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-03-03T17:46:32+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-03-03T17:46:32+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HSBC-World-Rugby-Sevens.jpg", "tags": [ "HSBC Canada Sevens", "HSBC", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9238", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/01/18/hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-returns-to-new-zealand/", "title": "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to New Zealand", "content_html": "

The world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in New Zealand for the first time in 1,091 days following a three year absence as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues in Hamilton on 21-22 January.

\n\n

The world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in New Zealand for the first time in 1,091 days following a three year absence as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues in Hamilton on 21-22 January.

\n

The Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens will be looking to defend the HSBC New Zealand Sevens titles won on home soil dating back to the last event held in 2020, while Samoa and Australia enter the event as men\u2019s and women\u2019s Series leaders respectively.

\n

The 2023 Series is shaping up to be the most competitive in history with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings, while hosts France have pre-qualified for next summer\u2019s pinnacle event in the nation\u2019s capital.

\n\n

The Men\u2019s Series has seen eight different teams reach the Cup semi-final stage, with all eight teams medalling across the first three tournaments. There have been three different gold medal winners (Australia, Samoa and South Africa), three different silver medallists (Fiji, Ireland and New Zealand), and three different bronze medal winners (France, New Zealand and USA). Only New Zealand have medalled twice, while Samoa, South Africa and USA have made the semi-finals twice.

\n

VIEW MEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

\n

The Women\u2019s Series has only seen two tournaments, compared to three for the men, but five different teams have reached the Cup Semi-Final stage. Only three teams have medalled so far, with Australia and New Zealand claiming one gold each. USA have won both bronze medal matches.

\n

VIEW WOMEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

\n

The stakes couldn\u2019t be higher at the bottom end of the men\u2019s 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.

\n

The 16 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s team captains lined-up in Hamilton on Wednesday in front of the newly opened\u00a0 K\u2019aute Pasigika Pan Pacific Community Centre before engaging with fans for autographs and selfies.

\n

The men\u2019s pool draw for Hamilton sees Cape Town champions Samoa take their place in Pool A alongside Olympic champions Fiji, France and Kenya.

\n

Hosts New Zealand slot into Pool B alongside Great Britain, Hong Kong winners Australia and invitational team Tonga.

\n

New Zealand men\u2019s captain Sam Dickson said: \u201cWe’re super excited to be playing at home again. It’s been a few years since we’ve been here. We have many good memories here and we\u2019re looking forward to the weekend.

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an Olympic qualifying year and our goal is to win the World Series and qualify for the Olympics. We obviously had a slow start, but we bounced back really well in Dubai and Cape Town and we now sit third in the table. So we’ll be looking at keeping that momentum and flying here in Hamilton and putting on a good show for our fans.\u201d

\n

Cape Town bronze medal winners USA lead Pool C and will face off against Uruguay, Ireland and Japan on day one.

\n

South Africa, Cup winners in Dubai in December, are joined by Argentina, Spain and Canada in Pool D.

\n

VIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

In the women\u2019s competition, hosts and reigning Olympic champions New Zealand will face off against Great Britain, Fiji and invitational team Papua New Guinea in Pool A.

\n

New Zealand women\u2019s captain Sarah Hirini said: \u201cIt’s awesome to be back here in Hamilton and obviously being an Olympic qualifying year we want to make sure that we’re in the top four and we’re qualified for Paris. But I think most importantly, just being able to play good footy and have a good time doing it.

\n

\u201cThere is great momentum for women\u2019s sport and we can’t really go anywhere without someone talking about the World Cup which is massively exciting for us and we want to continue that excitement for the sevens team as well.\u201d

\n

Series title holders Australia, who will be looking to build on their incredible form in 2022 ahead of their home tournament in Sydney from 27-29 January, headline Pool B alongside France, Canada and Japan.

\n

Pool C features USA, who have claimed a pair of bronze medals so far this season, along with Ireland, Brazil and Spain.

\n

VIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

The action begins at 09:10 local time (GMT+13) on Saturday, with all pool phase matches taking place on Saturday. The Cup quarter-finals get the action under way at 09:30 on Sunday, with the women\u2019s final at 19:26 and the men\u2019s final wrapping up the event at 19:56.

\n

Having been on New Zealand\u2019s sporting calendar for more than two decades, this year the tournament will see the addition of a second playing field next to FMG Stadium Waikato to enable the full men\u2019s and women\u2019s draws to be played over two action-packed days of thrilling world class rugby sevens.

\n

Remaining tickets are available at\u00a0https://www.sevens.co.nz/tickets/.

\n

Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

\n

WHERE TO WATCH >>

\n

The post HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to New Zealand appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in New Zealand for the first time in 1,091 days following a three year absence as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues in Hamilton on 21-22 January.\n\nThe HSBC New Zealand Sevens returns to Hamilton on 21-22 January following a three year absence\nThe 2023 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is the most hotly contested in history with Paris 2024 Olympic qualification at stake and a battle to avoid relegation in the men\u2019s competition\nNew Zealand All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens aiming to defend titles on home soil\nSamoa and Australia lead men\u2019s and women\u2019s Series after three and two rounds respectively\nPlay begins at 09:10 local time (GMT+13) on Saturday, with the finals from 19:26 on Sunday\n\nThe world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in New Zealand for the first time in 1,091 days following a three year absence as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues in Hamilton on 21-22 January.\nThe Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens will be looking to defend the HSBC New Zealand Sevens titles won on home soil dating back to the last event held in 2020, while Samoa and Australia enter the event as men\u2019s and women\u2019s Series leaders respectively.\nThe 2023 Series is shaping up to be the most competitive in history with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings, while hosts France have pre-qualified for next summer\u2019s pinnacle event in the nation\u2019s capital.\n\nExciting year of rugby sevens gets underway in Hamilton\nBack to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar\nLesley Mckenzie excited to help Japan realise potential on road to Rugby World Cup 2025\nAsia Rugby Statement: Expulsion case of Mohamed Rizly Mohamed Illyas\n\nThe Men\u2019s Series has seen eight different teams reach the Cup semi-final stage, with all eight teams medalling across the first three tournaments. There have been three different gold medal winners (Australia, Samoa and South Africa), three different silver medallists (Fiji, Ireland and New Zealand), and three different bronze medal winners (France, New Zealand and USA). Only New Zealand have medalled twice, while Samoa, South Africa and USA have made the semi-finals twice.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>\nThe Women\u2019s Series has only seen two tournaments, compared to three for the men, but five different teams have reached the Cup Semi-Final stage. Only three teams have medalled so far, with Australia and New Zealand claiming one gold each. USA have won both bronze medal matches.\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>\nThe stakes couldn\u2019t be higher at the bottom end of the men\u2019s 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.\nThe 16 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s team captains lined-up in Hamilton on Wednesday in front of the newly opened\u00a0 K\u2019aute Pasigika Pan Pacific Community Centre before engaging with fans for autographs and selfies.\nThe men\u2019s pool draw for Hamilton sees Cape Town champions Samoa take their place in Pool A alongside Olympic champions Fiji, France and Kenya.\nHosts New Zealand slot into Pool B alongside Great Britain, Hong Kong winners Australia and invitational team Tonga.\nNew Zealand men\u2019s captain Sam Dickson said: \u201cWe’re super excited to be playing at home again. It’s been a few years since we’ve been here. We have many good memories here and we\u2019re looking forward to the weekend.\n\u201cIt\u2019s an Olympic qualifying year and our goal is to win the World Series and qualify for the Olympics. We obviously had a slow start, but we bounced back really well in Dubai and Cape Town and we now sit third in the table. So we’ll be looking at keeping that momentum and flying here in Hamilton and putting on a good show for our fans.\u201d\nCape Town bronze medal winners USA lead Pool C and will face off against Uruguay, Ireland and Japan on day one.\nSouth Africa, Cup winners in Dubai in December, are joined by Argentina, Spain and Canada in Pool D.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nIn the women\u2019s competition, hosts and reigning Olympic champions New Zealand will face off against Great Britain, Fiji and invitational team Papua New Guinea in Pool A.\nNew Zealand women\u2019s captain Sarah Hirini said: \u201cIt’s awesome to be back here in Hamilton and obviously being an Olympic qualifying year we want to make sure that we’re in the top four and we’re qualified for Paris. But I think most importantly, just being able to play good footy and have a good time doing it.\n\u201cThere is great momentum for women\u2019s sport and we can’t really go anywhere without someone talking about the World Cup which is massively exciting for us and we want to continue that excitement for the sevens team as well.\u201d\nSeries title holders Australia, who will be looking to build on their incredible form in 2022 ahead of their home tournament in Sydney from 27-29 January, headline Pool B alongside France, Canada and Japan.\nPool C features USA, who have claimed a pair of bronze medals so far this season, along with Ireland, Brazil and Spain.\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe action begins at 09:10 local time (GMT+13) on Saturday, with all pool phase matches taking place on Saturday. The Cup quarter-finals get the action under way at 09:30 on Sunday, with the women\u2019s final at 19:26 and the men\u2019s final wrapping up the event at 19:56.\nHaving been on New Zealand\u2019s sporting calendar for more than two decades, this year the tournament will see the addition of a second playing field next to FMG Stadium Waikato to enable the full men\u2019s and women\u2019s draws to be played over two action-packed days of thrilling world class rugby sevens.\nRemaining tickets are available at\u00a0https://www.sevens.co.nz/tickets/.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nThe post HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to New Zealand appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-01-18T13:23:13+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-01-18T13:23:13+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/HSBC-World-Rugby-Sevens-Series-2023.jpg", "tags": [ "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9149", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/11/30/rugby-sevens-ready-to-reach-new-heights-in-dubai/", "title": "Rugby Sevens ready to reach new heights in Dubai", "content_html": "

The women\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets under way on Friday 2 December as the best 12 women\u2019s teams and 16 men\u2019s teams in the world take to the pitch at The Sevens Stadium for what promises to be a bumper edition of the popular Emirates Dubai 7s.

\n\n

The women\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets under way on Friday as the best 12 women\u2019s teams and 16 men\u2019s teams in the world take to the pitch at The Sevens Stadium for what promises to be a bumper edition of the popular Emirates Dubai 7s.

\n

Dubai has hosted the Series since its inception in 1999, and the event has built a strong reputation for spectacular entertainment, on and off the pitch, hosting the world\u2019s top players and teams and creating a party atmosphere around the venue.

\n

While the men\u2019s Series kicked off in Hong Kong last month, the women\u2019s Series gets started in Dubai as the 28 team captains gathered on Tuesday at the View at the Palm and are raring to play in front of the famously noisy and colourful crowd filling the Sevens Stadium.

\n\n

Matches will be played across two pitches and kick off at 9:00 local time (GMT+4) on Friday 2 December with Ireland against Spain in women\u2019s Pool C. Following two full days of action-packed rugby sevens the women\u2019s final will take place at 18:56 on Saturday 3 December, followed by the men\u2019s final at 19:26.

\n

The women\u2019s pools for Dubai see the all-conquering World, Commonwealth and Series champions Australia in Pool A alongside the USA, Canada and China. In Pool B reigning Olympic champions New Zealand will face France, Great Britain and Brazil. Pool C sees Olympic bronze medallists Fiji together with Ireland, Spain and newly promoted Japan.

\n

VIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

In the men\u2019s tournament Pool A sees current number one-ranked and 2022 Series champions Australia together with reigning Dubai title holders South Africa, Great Britain and Kenya. Pool B includes double Olympic gold medallists Fiji along with Argentina, New Zealand and Uruguay. Pool C features third-seed France taking on Ireland, Spain and Uganda. Finally, Pool D has Samoa, the USA, Canada and Japan.

\n

VIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

The 2023 Series promises to be the biggest, most competitive and exciting Series to date with more at stake than ever before as the top four ranked men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams will earn Olympic qualification for Paris 2024.

\n

At the other end of the table in the men\u2019s competition the number of teams for the 2024 Series will reduce from 16 to 12 to equal the number of women\u2019s teams and align with the Olympic competition structure, meaning fans can expect an intense battle to avoid relegation throughout the 2023 Series with every match and every point counting towards the final Series rankings.

\n

VIEW SERIES 2023 SCHEDULE >>

\n

Australia women\u2019s co-captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cWe are really excited to get started. We had an awesome season last season and I guess our expectations are nothing less than that. We’ve worked really hard this pre-season, so we\u2019re just really excited to start here in Dubai.

\n

\u201cWe love having the best of the best out there to play against so having New Zealand and Fiji back, as they were missing here last year, is really awesome. I think our team really vibes a lot when we have an awesome crowd and it’s really loud in Dubai so I think that’ll only help us to perform and I think that will make us play better. It’s awesome to have a big atmosphere.\u201d

\n

South Africa men\u2019s captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cPreparations have been going well for us. We can take a lot of confidence from the camp back at home and the past two days in Dubai have been great as well, being out on the field in the heat so it’s been good.

\n

\u201cWe enjoy playing in Dubai. It gets hot this time of the year in Cape Town so I think it’s always good preparation for us coming into Dubai. There’s a lot of confidence that we can take from the previous years however I think we always have to start all over again with each tournament. So we’ll take it a step at a time and I will take this as a brand new tool.

\n

\u201cIt’s really exciting to have our new coaches in the frame with new ideas that are coming through and I think you will see something new this coming weekend with two new debutantes as well which brings something different that they can add to the squad, so I\u2019m really excited to see it.\u201d

\n

Great Britain women\u2019s co-captain Meg Jones said: \u201cWe\u2019re back as a Great Britain squad and we’ve had a good six week block training block. With a new coach, new strength and conditioning, new physio, a couple of new faces and also many familiar faces.

\n

\u201cIt’s now opening up the pool of players and making it way more competitive, pushing the performance and our boundaries as much as we can. I think we’re really looking forward to seeing where we are at the moment, and then see where we can go with it.

\n

\u201cDubai is one of the one of the greatest legs and we love coming out here. The views are amazing. The fans are amazing, the whole event is amazing. So yeah, to be out here with the rest of the gang is good, you know, friends off the pitch, but obviously enemies on the pitch. It’s going to be a good test.

\n

\u201cThis whole journey is an amazing journey to be part of and hopefully we can make it to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will be the icing on top of the cake, but in terms of longevity and the future of GB sevens, were also set on pushing the boundaries and creating and sustaining a world class performance.\u201d

\n

Fans in Dubai can look forward to an exciting weekend of music alongside the rugby action across two pitches. Three world-renowned superstar DJs – Cuban Brothers, Gorgon City, and Craig David presents TS5 \u2013 will headline Frequency on 8, a visual and audio experience and Beats on Two, a unique bar concept which overlooks all the action on Pitch 2.

\n

The 2022 edition of the rugby festival will deliver an amplified experience for all in attendance with additional entertainment stands and activations for children and young adults, including a new Hops & Food Market, the invitational team party tent, as well as a new stage called ‘The House’.

\n

Remaining tickets are available from\u00a0https://dubairugby7s.com. Ticket options include the ultimate Hangar Hospitality for an upscale and all-access experience, Weekend General Admission and Weekend Reserved Seating, as well as single-day tickets that are available in limited quantities. Children under 12 years of age gain free entry during the weekend.

\n

Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

\n

WHERE TO WATCH >>

\n

The post Rugby Sevens ready to reach new heights in Dubai appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The women\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets under way on Friday 2 December as the best 12 women\u2019s teams and 16 men\u2019s teams in the world take to the pitch at The Sevens Stadium for what promises to be a bumper edition of the popular Emirates Dubai 7s.\n\nThe Emirates Dubai 7s takes place on 2-3 December at the Sevens Stadium\nDubai is the opening round of the women\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the second round for the men\u2019s Series\nAustralia are reigning men\u2019s and women\u2019s Series champions and lead the current men\u2019s rankings following victory in Hong Kong last month\nParis 2024 Olympic qualification is at stake for the top four teams in the 2023 Series\nThe action begins at 09:00 local time (GMT+4) on Friday, with the finals on Saturday at 18:56\n\nThe women\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets under way on Friday as the best 12 women\u2019s teams and 16 men\u2019s teams in the world take to the pitch at The Sevens Stadium for what promises to be a bumper edition of the popular Emirates Dubai 7s.\nDubai has hosted the Series since its inception in 1999, and the event has built a strong reputation for spectacular entertainment, on and off the pitch, hosting the world\u2019s top players and teams and creating a party atmosphere around the venue.\nWhile the men\u2019s Series kicked off in Hong Kong last month, the women\u2019s Series gets started in Dubai as the 28 team captains gathered on Tuesday at the View at the Palm and are raring to play in front of the famously noisy and colourful crowd filling the Sevens Stadium.\n\nHong Kong and China Clinch Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2022\nSyria welcomed as World Rugby Associate Member\nFinal Qualification Tournament players we\u2019d love to see at Rugby World Cup 2023\nAsia Rugby Statement\n\nMatches will be played across two pitches and kick off at 9:00 local time (GMT+4) on Friday 2 December with Ireland against Spain in women\u2019s Pool C. Following two full days of action-packed rugby sevens the women\u2019s final will take place at 18:56 on Saturday 3 December, followed by the men\u2019s final at 19:26.\nThe women\u2019s pools for Dubai see the all-conquering World, Commonwealth and Series champions Australia in Pool A alongside the USA, Canada and China. In Pool B reigning Olympic champions New Zealand will face France, Great Britain and Brazil. Pool C sees Olympic bronze medallists Fiji together with Ireland, Spain and newly promoted Japan.\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nIn the men\u2019s tournament Pool A sees current number one-ranked and 2022 Series champions Australia together with reigning Dubai title holders South Africa, Great Britain and Kenya. Pool B includes double Olympic gold medallists Fiji along with Argentina, New Zealand and Uruguay. Pool C features third-seed France taking on Ireland, Spain and Uganda. Finally, Pool D has Samoa, the USA, Canada and Japan.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe 2023 Series promises to be the biggest, most competitive and exciting Series to date with more at stake than ever before as the top four ranked men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams will earn Olympic qualification for Paris 2024.\nAt the other end of the table in the men\u2019s competition the number of teams for the 2024 Series will reduce from 16 to 12 to equal the number of women\u2019s teams and align with the Olympic competition structure, meaning fans can expect an intense battle to avoid relegation throughout the 2023 Series with every match and every point counting towards the final Series rankings.\nVIEW SERIES 2023 SCHEDULE >>\nAustralia women\u2019s co-captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cWe are really excited to get started. We had an awesome season last season and I guess our expectations are nothing less than that. We’ve worked really hard this pre-season, so we\u2019re just really excited to start here in Dubai.\n\u201cWe love having the best of the best out there to play against so having New Zealand and Fiji back, as they were missing here last year, is really awesome. I think our team really vibes a lot when we have an awesome crowd and it’s really loud in Dubai so I think that’ll only help us to perform and I think that will make us play better. It’s awesome to have a big atmosphere.\u201d\nSouth Africa men\u2019s captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cPreparations have been going well for us. We can take a lot of confidence from the camp back at home and the past two days in Dubai have been great as well, being out on the field in the heat so it’s been good.\n\u201cWe enjoy playing in Dubai. It gets hot this time of the year in Cape Town so I think it’s always good preparation for us coming into Dubai. There’s a lot of confidence that we can take from the previous years however I think we always have to start all over again with each tournament. So we’ll take it a step at a time and I will take this as a brand new tool.\n\u201cIt’s really exciting to have our new coaches in the frame with new ideas that are coming through and I think you will see something new this coming weekend with two new debutantes as well which brings something different that they can add to the squad, so I\u2019m really excited to see it.\u201d\nGreat Britain women\u2019s co-captain Meg Jones said: \u201cWe\u2019re back as a Great Britain squad and we’ve had a good six week block training block. With a new coach, new strength and conditioning, new physio, a couple of new faces and also many familiar faces.\n\u201cIt’s now opening up the pool of players and making it way more competitive, pushing the performance and our boundaries as much as we can. I think we’re really looking forward to seeing where we are at the moment, and then see where we can go with it.\n\u201cDubai is one of the one of the greatest legs and we love coming out here. The views are amazing. The fans are amazing, the whole event is amazing. So yeah, to be out here with the rest of the gang is good, you know, friends off the pitch, but obviously enemies on the pitch. It’s going to be a good test.\n\u201cThis whole journey is an amazing journey to be part of and hopefully we can make it to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will be the icing on top of the cake, but in terms of longevity and the future of GB sevens, were also set on pushing the boundaries and creating and sustaining a world class performance.\u201d\nFans in Dubai can look forward to an exciting weekend of music alongside the rugby action across two pitches. Three world-renowned superstar DJs – Cuban Brothers, Gorgon City, and Craig David presents TS5 \u2013 will headline Frequency on 8, a visual and audio experience and Beats on Two, a unique bar concept which overlooks all the action on Pitch 2.\nThe 2022 edition of the rugby festival will deliver an amplified experience for all in attendance with additional entertainment stands and activations for children and young adults, including a new Hops & Food Market, the invitational team party tent, as well as a new stage called ‘The House’.\nRemaining tickets are available from\u00a0https://dubairugby7s.com. Ticket options include the ultimate Hangar Hospitality for an upscale and all-access experience, Weekend General Admission and Weekend Reserved Seating, as well as single-day tickets that are available in limited quantities. Children under 12 years of age gain free entry during the weekend.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nThe post Rugby Sevens ready to reach new heights in Dubai appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-11-30T13:54:51+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-11-30T13:56:07+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Rugby-Sevens-ready-to-reach-new-heights-in-Dubai.jpg", "tags": [ "Dubai 7s", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8931", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/29/australia-win-the-hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-2022/", "title": "Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "content_html": "

Bronze medal in Los Angeles enough for Australia to clinch the Series title as New Zealand win the tournament.

\n

Australia won the men\u2019s\u00a0HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0for the first time in history on Sunday after an amazing day two of action in Los Angeles.

\n

The 2022 series started way back in November last year and, after nine tournaments, it all came down to the bronze medal match at Dignity Health Sports Park in California, USA.

\n

Going into that match Australia knew that if they could win it then they would have too big a points total for nearest rivals Fiji and South Africa and so it proved.

\n

They beat Samoa 21-7 to clinch third over the weekend and, more importantly, the overall title.

\n

SEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE HSBC LA SEVENS >>>

\n

An emotional Australia head coach John Manenti said:\u00a0 \u201cIt is quite surreal to be honest.

\n

\u201cIt has been an amazing six months or so with the boys, we have had our ups and downs, but these kids have fought hard and they deserve this and it is something that they will remember for ever.

\n

\u201cWe are a bunch of misfits just having a crack, working hard for each other and the boys love each other which is a big thing.

\n

\u201cThis season we wanted to be consistent from day one and we didn\u2019t get there every tournament, but in general this overall victory is all about the consistency the boys have shown.\u201d

\n

Before this, Australia had finished second in the men\u2019s series in 2000-01, but this time they made it to the top of the mountain and backed up their women\u2019s series win to show that they are the country to beat now when it comes to sevens.

\n

Australia finished fourth at the\u00a0Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, losing to New Zealand in the bronze medal match, so they obviously channelled that frustration here.

\n

And their head coach mentioned consistency, well they are the only team who reached the Cup quarter-finals at every round of the 2022 Series.

\n

They are the fifth country ever to win the series after New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Samoa.

\n

In all the excitement, Fiji and New Zealand then played out a brilliant gold medal match.

\n

Before it, New Zealand had reached a Cup final on USA soil on eight occasions, but only lifted the trophy twice – in 2004-05 in Los Angeles and 2007-08 in San Diego.

\n

Their record in Cup finals now is won 62, lost 39 after a late Moses Leo try – converted by Kurt Baker – helped the injury-hit squad see them win the game 28-21.

\n

HSBC Player of the Final Leo said:\u00a0 \u201cWe had to dig deep, but the boys showed character and we did it.\u201d

\n

SEE THE OVERALL SEASON’S RANKING >>>

\n

In the final standings, Australia finish on 128 points, South Africa are on 124, Fiji are third on 122, Argentina are fourth on 118 and Ireland finish fifth on 92.

\n

GOLD MEDAL MATCH: MOSES LEO THE STAR MAN AS NEW ZEALAND FIND GOLD

\n

With these two great sides tied at 21-21 going into the final 60 seconds of a pulsating Cup final it was going to take something special to separate them – and Moses Leo came up with it.

\n

His try, converted by Kurt Baker, saw them record a 28-21 triumph.

\n

The result was tough for Fiji to take because they certainly played their part, their tries coming from Kaminieli Rasaku, Waisea Nacuqu and Filipe Sauturaga.

\n

New Zealand captain Sione Molia said:\u00a0 \u201cIt was such a tough match and we knew we had to be real clinical and we were.

\n

\u201cWe had a few guys nursing injuries, but we wanted to win for each other and our country.\u201d

\n

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH: AUSTRALIA BOUNCE BACK FROM EARLY SAMOA TRY

\n

Knowing a win in this one would secure them the Series there was no doubt some nerves in the Australian squad before this game against Samoa.

\n

And that only intensified when Owen Niue scored a converted try for the opponents after three minutes.

\n

Australia stayed calm though and tries from Corey Toole, Henry Paterson and Dietrich Roache – all converted by the latter – got them home 21-7.

\n

After the game which gave his side ultimate glory, captain Nick Malouf said:\u00a0 \u201cI am just so proud, I look back to the start of this season and we had six guys contracted, it has been quite some journey since then.

\n

\u201cBefore this game we spoke about making three groups of people proud. The first was Australians, the second was the name on our backs our families and the third was the group of guys. I hope we did that.\u201d

\n

You certainly did Nick\u2026

\n

CUP SEMI-FINALS: FIJI TURN ON STYLE AS NEW ZEALAND EDGE THROUGH

\n

Henry Paterson and James Turner scored first half unconverted tries for Australia, but in the end Fiji were too strong in the first Cup semi-final.

\n

Waisea Nacuqu, Jerry Tuwai, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo and Kaminieli Rasaku scored their tries in a 29-10 victory.

\n

Samoa led 19-7 at the break against New Zealand in the second semi, but the latter showed amazing battling spirit to come through 28-26.

\n

Sione Molia scored their winning try with Kurt Baker converting to add to earlier scores from Akuila Rokolisoa (2) and Baker.

\n

Steve Onosai, Vaa Apelu Maliko, Uaina Sione and Paul Scanlan were Samoa\u2019s try scorers in defeat.

\n

CUP QUARTER-FINALS: AUSTRALIA, FIJI, SAMOA AND NEW ZEALAND PROGRESS

\n

Having been awesome on day one, early on day two Australia showed they were keen to continue where they left off.

\n

Matthew Gonzalez, Maurice Longbottom, Henry Paterson (2), Josh Turner and Corey Toole scored their tries in a comfortable 40-14 Cup quarter-final triumph.

\n

Fiji then got the better of hosts USA, Kaminieli Rasaku, Joseva Talacolo (2) and Viwa Naduvalo their try scorers in a 28-12 triumph although the biggest cheers came when Steve Tomasin and Maka Unufe crossed.

\n

Paul Scanlan was the hero with the winning try as Samoa just got the better of Argentina 24-19 in one of the ties of the weekend.

\n

Mat\u00edas Osadczuk\u2019s try, converted by Alejo Lavayen, had made it 19-19 before Scanlan\u2019s intervention. Scanlan was later named DHL Impact Player of the weekend.

\n

Joe Webber, Caleb Tangitau, Amanaki Nicole, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and Lewis Ormond bagged tries for New Zealand as they were too strong for Ireland 29-14.

\n

5TH PLACE: ARGENTINA FINISH FIFTH AND HAVE HEADS HELD HIGH

\n

Along with Australia, Fiji and South Africa, Argentina were one of four sides going into this event who could have lifted the overall series title had things gone their way.

\n

It was not to be in the end, but what entertainers they have been in recent months and they made sure of fifth place in Los Angeles by beating Kenya 29-7 in the fifth place final.

\n

An Anthony Omondi converted try on the stroke of half-time saw Kenya cut the deficit to 12-7 at the break, but second period tries from Tomas Lizazu (2) and Franco Sabato – as well as two Tobias Wade conversions \u2013 got Argentina home 29-7.

\n

Earlier in the first fifth place semi-final, Edmund Anya scored a converted try at the death as Kenya stunned the home support with a 21-14 victory over a USA outfit who certainly entertained over the two days.

\n

In the second semi, Argentina had to battle back from 21-7 down against Ireland and there was similar late drama to the Kenya-USA tie.

\n

Tomas Lizazu was the match winner here, his converted try getting Argentina through 28-21 after a cracking contest.

\n

9TH\u00a0PLACE: FRENCH FLYING IN FINAL

\n

France had a mixed weekend overall, but in the 9th\u00a0place final they turned on the style.

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They scored just one try in the first half, but they scored four more after the interval to defeat Scotland 33-0.

\n

Nisie Huyard, Aaron Grandidier, William Iraguha, Stephen Parez and Paulin Riva were thee French try scorers with four conversions being added as they ended on a high.

\n

Earlier France had got the better of England 19-7 in the first 9th\u00a0place semi-final, Jean Pascal Barraque, Nelson Epee and Pierre Mignot their scorers there.

\n

And Scotland had made it to the final with a victory that had the same score against Wales.

\n

Robbie Fergusson (2) and Harvey Elms were the Scotland try scorers in this one.

\n

In the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals, England defeated Japan 36-15 with Tom Bowen leading the way with two tries and Nelson Epee was at the double in a 42-0 thumping of Canada.

\n

Matt Davidson, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson and Harvey Elms scored converted tries as Scotland got the better of Spain 28-7 and Wales caused a shock to edge out South Africa 10-5.

\n

Luke Treharne opened the scoring early on before Ryan Oosthuizen replied, but Morgan Williams won it for the Welsh.

\n

13TH PLACE: SOUTH AFRICA FINISH 13TH TO FALL SHORT

\n

If you had said to many people at the start of the weekend that series leading South Africa would be in the 13th\u00a0place final then not a lot of them would have believed you.

\n

However, as we know sevens throws up the most amazing things and that is what happened here.

\n

In the final South Africa won 26-0 to, at the time, keep their overall series title hopes alive at the time, but in the end it was not enough.

\n

In the final, Shilton van Wyk, James Murphy, JC Pretorius and Ryan Oosthuizen scored South Africa\u2019s tries with Branco du Preez (2) and Shaun Williams kicking conversions.

\n

Earlier in the first 13th\u00a0place final, Japan had come out of the blocks flying to defeat Canada 26-19.

\n

Timo Fiti Sufia, Shotaro Tsuoka, Taichi Yoshizawa and Ryota Kano scored tries, three of them converted, as the Japanese team led 26-0 at one point before holding off a comeback.

\n

In the other semi, Siviwe Soyizwapi and JC Pretorius tries had South Africa 10-7 up at the break over Spain and eventually they won 29-12.

\n

Second half try scorers for South Africa were James Murphy, Angelo Davids and Muller du Plessis.

\n

RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS 2022

\n

The World Rugby Sevens Series for 2022 may well be over now, but the best male and female sevens players on the planet will soon be at show in the\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens.

\n

The showpiece event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, between September 9 and 11.

\n

The post Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Bronze medal in Los Angeles enough for Australia to clinch the Series title as New Zealand win the tournament.\nAustralia won the men\u2019s\u00a0HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0for the first time in history on Sunday after an amazing day two of action in Los Angeles.\nThe 2022 series started way back in November last year and, after nine tournaments, it all came down to the bronze medal match at Dignity Health Sports Park in California, USA.\nGoing into that match Australia knew that if they could win it then they would have too big a points total for nearest rivals Fiji and South Africa and so it proved.\nThey beat Samoa 21-7 to clinch third over the weekend and, more importantly, the overall title.\nSEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE HSBC LA SEVENS >>>\nAn emotional Australia head coach John Manenti said:\u00a0 \u201cIt is quite surreal to be honest.\n\u201cIt has been an amazing six months or so with the boys, we have had our ups and downs, but these kids have fought hard and they deserve this and it is something that they will remember for ever.\n\u201cWe are a bunch of misfits just having a crack, working hard for each other and the boys love each other which is a big thing.\n\u201cThis season we wanted to be consistent from day one and we didn\u2019t get there every tournament, but in general this overall victory is all about the consistency the boys have shown.\u201d\nBefore this, Australia had finished second in the men\u2019s series in 2000-01, but this time they made it to the top of the mountain and backed up their women\u2019s series win to show that they are the country to beat now when it comes to sevens.\nAustralia finished fourth at the\u00a0Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, losing to New Zealand in the bronze medal match, so they obviously channelled that frustration here.\nAnd their head coach mentioned consistency, well they are the only team who reached the Cup quarter-finals at every round of the 2022 Series.\nThey are the fifth country ever to win the series after New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Samoa.\nIn all the excitement, Fiji and New Zealand then played out a brilliant gold medal match.\nBefore it, New Zealand had reached a Cup final on USA soil on eight occasions, but only lifted the trophy twice – in 2004-05 in Los Angeles and 2007-08 in San Diego.\nTheir record in Cup finals now is won 62, lost 39 after a late Moses Leo try – converted by Kurt Baker – helped the injury-hit squad see them win the game 28-21.\nHSBC Player of the Final Leo said:\u00a0 \u201cWe had to dig deep, but the boys showed character and we did it.\u201d\nSEE THE OVERALL SEASON’S RANKING >>>\nIn the final standings, Australia finish on 128 points, South Africa are on 124, Fiji are third on 122, Argentina are fourth on 118 and Ireland finish fifth on 92.\nGOLD MEDAL MATCH: MOSES LEO THE STAR MAN AS NEW ZEALAND FIND GOLD\nWith these two great sides tied at 21-21 going into the final 60 seconds of a pulsating Cup final it was going to take something special to separate them – and Moses Leo came up with it.\nHis try, converted by Kurt Baker, saw them record a 28-21 triumph.\nThe result was tough for Fiji to take because they certainly played their part, their tries coming from Kaminieli Rasaku, Waisea Nacuqu and Filipe Sauturaga.\nNew Zealand captain Sione Molia said:\u00a0 \u201cIt was such a tough match and we knew we had to be real clinical and we were.\n\u201cWe had a few guys nursing injuries, but we wanted to win for each other and our country.\u201d\nBRONZE MEDAL MATCH: AUSTRALIA BOUNCE BACK FROM EARLY SAMOA TRY\nKnowing a win in this one would secure them the Series there was no doubt some nerves in the Australian squad before this game against Samoa.\nAnd that only intensified when Owen Niue scored a converted try for the opponents after three minutes.\nAustralia stayed calm though and tries from Corey Toole, Henry Paterson and Dietrich Roache – all converted by the latter – got them home 21-7.\nAfter the game which gave his side ultimate glory, captain Nick Malouf said:\u00a0 \u201cI am just so proud, I look back to the start of this season and we had six guys contracted, it has been quite some journey since then.\n\u201cBefore this game we spoke about making three groups of people proud. The first was Australians, the second was the name on our backs our families and the third was the group of guys. I hope we did that.\u201d\nYou certainly did Nick\u2026\nCUP SEMI-FINALS: FIJI TURN ON STYLE AS NEW ZEALAND EDGE THROUGH\nHenry Paterson and James Turner scored first half unconverted tries for Australia, but in the end Fiji were too strong in the first Cup semi-final.\nWaisea Nacuqu, Jerry Tuwai, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo and Kaminieli Rasaku scored their tries in a 29-10 victory.\nSamoa led 19-7 at the break against New Zealand in the second semi, but the latter showed amazing battling spirit to come through 28-26.\nSione Molia scored their winning try with Kurt Baker converting to add to earlier scores from Akuila Rokolisoa (2) and Baker.\nSteve Onosai, Vaa Apelu Maliko, Uaina Sione and Paul Scanlan were Samoa\u2019s try scorers in defeat.\nCUP QUARTER-FINALS: AUSTRALIA, FIJI, SAMOA AND NEW ZEALAND PROGRESS\nHaving been awesome on day one, early on day two Australia showed they were keen to continue where they left off.\nMatthew Gonzalez, Maurice Longbottom, Henry Paterson (2), Josh Turner and Corey Toole scored their tries in a comfortable 40-14 Cup quarter-final triumph.\nFiji then got the better of hosts USA, Kaminieli Rasaku, Joseva Talacolo (2) and Viwa Naduvalo their try scorers in a 28-12 triumph although the biggest cheers came when Steve Tomasin and Maka Unufe crossed.\nPaul Scanlan was the hero with the winning try as Samoa just got the better of Argentina 24-19 in one of the ties of the weekend.\nMat\u00edas Osadczuk\u2019s try, converted by Alejo Lavayen, had made it 19-19 before Scanlan\u2019s intervention. Scanlan was later named DHL Impact Player of the weekend.\nJoe Webber, Caleb Tangitau, Amanaki Nicole, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and Lewis Ormond bagged tries for New Zealand as they were too strong for Ireland 29-14.\n5TH PLACE: ARGENTINA FINISH FIFTH AND HAVE HEADS HELD HIGH\nAlong with Australia, Fiji and South Africa, Argentina were one of four sides going into this event who could have lifted the overall series title had things gone their way.\nIt was not to be in the end, but what entertainers they have been in recent months and they made sure of fifth place in Los Angeles by beating Kenya 29-7 in the fifth place final.\nAn Anthony Omondi converted try on the stroke of half-time saw Kenya cut the deficit to 12-7 at the break, but second period tries from Tomas Lizazu (2) and Franco Sabato – as well as two Tobias Wade conversions \u2013 got Argentina home 29-7.\nEarlier in the first fifth place semi-final, Edmund Anya scored a converted try at the death as Kenya stunned the home support with a 21-14 victory over a USA outfit who certainly entertained over the two days.\nIn the second semi, Argentina had to battle back from 21-7 down against Ireland and there was similar late drama to the Kenya-USA tie.\nTomas Lizazu was the match winner here, his converted try getting Argentina through 28-21 after a cracking contest.\n9TH\u00a0PLACE: FRENCH FLYING IN FINAL\nFrance had a mixed weekend overall, but in the 9th\u00a0place final they turned on the style.\nThey scored just one try in the first half, but they scored four more after the interval to defeat Scotland 33-0.\nNisie Huyard, Aaron Grandidier, William Iraguha, Stephen Parez and Paulin Riva were thee French try scorers with four conversions being added as they ended on a high.\nEarlier France had got the better of England 19-7 in the first 9th\u00a0place semi-final, Jean Pascal Barraque, Nelson Epee and Pierre Mignot their scorers there.\nAnd Scotland had made it to the final with a victory that had the same score against Wales.\nRobbie Fergusson (2) and Harvey Elms were the Scotland try scorers in this one.\nIn the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals, England defeated Japan 36-15 with Tom Bowen leading the way with two tries and Nelson Epee was at the double in a 42-0 thumping of Canada.\nMatt Davidson, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson and Harvey Elms scored converted tries as Scotland got the better of Spain 28-7 and Wales caused a shock to edge out South Africa 10-5.\nLuke Treharne opened the scoring early on before Ryan Oosthuizen replied, but Morgan Williams won it for the Welsh.\n13TH PLACE: SOUTH AFRICA FINISH 13TH TO FALL SHORT\nIf you had said to many people at the start of the weekend that series leading South Africa would be in the 13th\u00a0place final then not a lot of them would have believed you.\nHowever, as we know sevens throws up the most amazing things and that is what happened here.\nIn the final South Africa won 26-0 to, at the time, keep their overall series title hopes alive at the time, but in the end it was not enough.\nIn the final, Shilton van Wyk, James Murphy, JC Pretorius and Ryan Oosthuizen scored South Africa\u2019s tries with Branco du Preez (2) and Shaun Williams kicking conversions.\nEarlier in the first 13th\u00a0place final, Japan had come out of the blocks flying to defeat Canada 26-19.\nTimo Fiti Sufia, Shotaro Tsuoka, Taichi Yoshizawa and Ryota Kano scored tries, three of them converted, as the Japanese team led 26-0 at one point before holding off a comeback.\nIn the other semi, Siviwe Soyizwapi and JC Pretorius tries had South Africa 10-7 up at the break over Spain and eventually they won 29-12.\nSecond half try scorers for South Africa were James Murphy, Angelo Davids and Muller du Plessis.\nRUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS 2022\nThe World Rugby Sevens Series for 2022 may well be over now, but the best male and female sevens players on the planet will soon be at show in the\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens.\nThe showpiece event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, between September 9 and 11.\nThe post Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-29T14:57:33+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-29T14:57:33+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Australia-win-the-HSBC-World-Rugby-Sevens-Series-2022.jpg", "tags": [ "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Australia Rugby", "New Zealand Rugby", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8926", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/26/four-teams-aiming-to-win-sevens-series-title-in-la/", "title": "Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA", "content_html": "

The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 on 27-28 August as four teams stand a chance to become Series champions – South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji.

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The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum \u2013 scene of the 1984 Olympic Games – on Wednesday ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 as the race to the title comes to a conclusion this weekend.

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Four captains have one hand on the Series trophy as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji are all in with a chance of clinching the Series title at the HSBC LA Sevens, which takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August.

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VIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>

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With a unique Series scoring system in place for the 2022 Series due to the impacts of the global pandemic, each team\u2019s end of season total is calculated by taking their best seven results from the nine Series events.

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That means South Africa, who won the first four tournaments of the 2022 Series, currently lead the way on 124 points and would claim the Series title should they reach the final in LA, meanwhile Australia are two points behind and Argentina a further four adrift.

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Fiji are fourth on 104 points but the system in place in 2022 ensures that they retain a shot at claiming a fifth men\u2019s Series crown despite missing the tournaments in Malaga and Seville at the start of the year.

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HOW TITLE CAN BE WON >>

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South Africa arrived in LA in confident mood, fresh from their victory at the recent Commonwealth Games in England. The Blitzboks face New Zealand, hosts USA and Canada in a tough looking Pool B.

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Their closest title challengers Australia and Argentina are paired together in Pool A alongside Spain and Japan.

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Double Olympic Champions Fiji are in Pool C against Ireland, France and Wales. Pool D is made up of Samoa, England, Scotland and Kenya.

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Read More –

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South Africa captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cWe have to keep our own standards and not worry about our opponents. We had an up and down season, but we learned from all those mishaps and came back stronger. This is one more go and another opportunity to finish the season the way we started it way back in Dubai. We know what the level is to win tournaments, it is now up to us to make sure we reach that this weekend.\u201d

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\u201cWe want to make sure the focus remains in the right areas as we have learned from mistakes made. There is a tough weekend awaiting us, but that is how we prefer it \u2013 we are at our best when things are tough.\u201d

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\u201cCanada have been playing good rugby all series, the USA will feed off the energy from their home crowd and will be pumped up, and New Zealand have always been a great rival, so all three pool matches will challenge us. We just need to\u00a0ensure we have the consistency from the start and the rest will follow.\u201d

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Australia Sevens coach John Manenti said: \u201cThe Aussie men have never won the World Rugby Sevens Series \u2013 so this is a rare occasion for the squad.

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\u201cYou never know how many chances you will get in your career to achieve something like this, so everyone is determined to really go out there and take the opportunity.

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\u201cOn the back of the women\u2019s success in winning the World Series, the men are motivated and keen to emulate their performance and make it a rare double for any sevens national teams.\u201d

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VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

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The action gets under way on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa in what promises to be one of the matches of the day as fans are encouraged to arrive early.

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Play begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:45 with the semi-finals at 14:09 and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28, before the HSBC World Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens Series 2022 Awards take place on Sunday evening.

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Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

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WHERE TO WATCH >>

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Australia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse in May. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.

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The year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens, following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a spectacular and record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.

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The men\u2019s 2023 Series begins in Hong Kong on 4-6 November 2022 while the women\u2019s teams kick off in a combined event in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022.

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Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic Games, which will see rugby sevens\u2019 fourth appearance at the Games since the sport\u2019s debut at the Rio 2016 Games.

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Remaining tickets for the HSBC LA Sevens are available at\u00a0https://lasevensrugby.com/tickets.

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Rights free images are available via\u00a0www.world.rugby/media-zone.

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The post Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 on 27-28 August as four teams stand a chance to become Series champions – South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji.\n\nHSBC LA Sevens takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August\nSouth Africa (124 points), Australia (122), Argentina (118) and Fiji (104) have a chance to clinch the Series title\nSouth Africa will become 2022 Series champions if they reach the final in Los Angeles\nThe action kicks off on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa\n\nThe 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum \u2013 scene of the 1984 Olympic Games – on Wednesday ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 as the race to the title comes to a conclusion this weekend.\nFour captains have one hand on the Series trophy as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji are all in with a chance of clinching the Series title at the HSBC LA Sevens, which takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August.\nVIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>\nWith a unique Series scoring system in place for the 2022 Series due to the impacts of the global pandemic, each team\u2019s end of season total is calculated by taking their best seven results from the nine Series events.\nThat means South Africa, who won the first four tournaments of the 2022 Series, currently lead the way on 124 points and would claim the Series title should they reach the final in LA, meanwhile Australia are two points behind and Argentina a further four adrift.\nFiji are fourth on 104 points but the system in place in 2022 ensures that they retain a shot at claiming a fifth men\u2019s Series crown despite missing the tournaments in Malaga and Seville at the start of the year.\nHOW TITLE CAN BE WON >>\nSouth Africa arrived in LA in confident mood, fresh from their victory at the recent Commonwealth Games in England. The Blitzboks face New Zealand, hosts USA and Canada in a tough looking Pool B.\nTheir closest title challengers Australia and Argentina are paired together in Pool A alongside Spain and Japan.\nDouble Olympic Champions Fiji are in Pool C against Ireland, France and Wales. Pool D is made up of Samoa, England, Scotland and Kenya.\nRead More –\n\n5 Teams from Asia chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series\nEverything you need to know about Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\nWorld Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed\nEmirates and World Rugby to \u2018Fly Better\u2019 at Rugby World Cup 2023 and 2027\n\nSouth Africa captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cWe have to keep our own standards and not worry about our opponents. We had an up and down season, but we learned from all those mishaps and came back stronger. This is one more go and another opportunity to finish the season the way we started it way back in Dubai. We know what the level is to win tournaments, it is now up to us to make sure we reach that this weekend.\u201d\n\u201cWe want to make sure the focus remains in the right areas as we have learned from mistakes made. There is a tough weekend awaiting us, but that is how we prefer it \u2013 we are at our best when things are tough.\u201d\n\u201cCanada have been playing good rugby all series, the USA will feed off the energy from their home crowd and will be pumped up, and New Zealand have always been a great rival, so all three pool matches will challenge us. We just need to\u00a0ensure we have the consistency from the start and the rest will follow.\u201d\nAustralia Sevens coach John Manenti said: \u201cThe Aussie men have never won the World Rugby Sevens Series \u2013 so this is a rare occasion for the squad.\n\u201cYou never know how many chances you will get in your career to achieve something like this, so everyone is determined to really go out there and take the opportunity.\n\u201cOn the back of the women\u2019s success in winning the World Series, the men are motivated and keen to emulate their performance and make it a rare double for any sevens national teams.\u201d\nVIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>\nThe action gets under way on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa in what promises to be one of the matches of the day as fans are encouraged to arrive early.\nPlay begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:45 with the semi-finals at 14:09 and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28, before the HSBC World Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens Series 2022 Awards take place on Sunday evening.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nAustralia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse in May. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.\nThe year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens, following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a spectacular and record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.\nThe men\u2019s 2023 Series begins in Hong Kong on 4-6 November 2022 while the women\u2019s teams kick off in a combined event in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022.\nLos Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic Games, which will see rugby sevens\u2019 fourth appearance at the Games since the sport\u2019s debut at the Rio 2016 Games.\nRemaining tickets for the HSBC LA Sevens are available at\u00a0https://lasevensrugby.com/tickets.\nRights free images are available via\u00a0www.world.rugby/media-zone.\nThe post Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-26T11:42:17+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-26T11:42:17+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Four-teams-aiming-to-win-Sevens-Series-title-in-LA.jpg", "tags": [ "Fiji Rugby", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "Argentina Rugby", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Australia Rugby", "South Africa Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8732", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/05/31/olympic-qualification-at-stake-as-bumper-hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-2023-schedule-announced/", "title": "Olympic qualification at stake as bumper HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 schedule announced", "content_html": "

A blockbuster schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 has been announced today with a full roster of teams and hosts as the dynamic, high octane Olympic sport continues to grow, evolve and engage new fans around the globe.

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A blockbuster schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 has been announced today with a full roster of teams and hosts as the dynamic, high octane Olympic sport continues to grow, evolve and engage new fans around the globe.

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The competition will be intense from start to finish with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 \u00a0qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings.

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The men\u2019s Series will include a record-equalling 11 rounds, uniquely featuring two events in Hong Kong, which is set to host the first round on 4-6 November 2022.

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VIEW 2023 SERIES SCHEDULE >>

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The women\u2019s Series involves a record seven rounds and will kick off in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022 in the first of four consecutive men\u2019s and women\u2019s combined events. Dubai is followed by Cape Town, South Africa on 9-11 December before all teams will compete in Hamilton, New Zealand (21-22 January) and Sydney, Australia (27-29 January) for the first time since 2020.

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>> WATCH HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES 2023 CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT

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The men\u2019s Series then lands in Los Angeles, USA on 25-26 February before a combined round in Vancouver, Canada on 3-5 March, which sees a change from previous Series as the women\u2019s tournament joins together with the men\u2019s in front of the famously large, loud and colourful crowd at BC Place.

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Both men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams then move on to Hong Kong for the traditional blockbuster event on 31 March \u2013 2 April, followed by a men\u2019s round in Singapore on 8-9 April.

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The women\u2019s Series will reach it\u2019s exciting conclusion in Toulouse, France as part of a combined event on 12-14 May, with the men\u2019s finale coming a week later in London, England on 20-21 May to bring down the curtain on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023.

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Following a dominant display in 2022 Australia\u2019s women will be aiming to defend their crown in 2023 but will face stiff competition from the likes of Olympic medallists New Zealand, France and Fiji, along with the impressive USA and fast improving Ireland among others.

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VIEW 2022 SERIES STANDINGS >>

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The men\u2019s 2022 Series title is yet to be decided with the final round taking place in Los Angeles on 27-28 August following an outstanding, highly competitive event in front of more than 74,000 fans at Twickenham Stadium in London over the past weekend.

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South Africa won the first four rounds in succession before double Olympic champions Fiji returned to the Series with thrilling title winning performances in Singapore and Toulouse, while Argentina claimed their first Series victory in 14 years in Vancouver, and Australia took gold in London. With the likes of Olympic silver medallists New Zealand also back in action the 2023 Series promises to be very hotly contested.

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Before the 2023 Series kicks off, rugby sevens players and fans will enjoy a very busy and exciting period over the forthcoming months with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July, followed by the climax of the men\u2019s 2022 Series in Los Angeles in August and the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town on 9-11 September.

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A World Rugby Challenger Series event is also set to take place in August, providing a pathway for one men\u2019s and one women\u2019s team to gain promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. Details of the Challenger Series event are due to be announced shortly.

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Following outstanding men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July 2021, the Series continues to reach new fans. Independent research showed rugby sevens\u2019 second Olympic appearance to be hugely impactful for the sport in engaging and inspiring new, younger and more diverse fans across the globe, particularly in emerging rugby nations with 54 per cent agreeing the Olympics increased their interest in the sport and 63 per cent watching sevens for the first time.

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World Rugby\u2019s youth oriented social media content from the Olympic Games in Tokyo achieved huge success with 22 million video views, more than 100 million impressions and 3.4 million public engagements from 2,400 posts across five World Rugby platforms as part of the international federation\u2019s \u2018This is how we sevens\u2019 engagement campaign.

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World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cFollowing a uniquely challenging period for global sport, we are delighted to announce that rugby sevens is back to full force with a full line-up of hosts and teams for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2023, which is the biggest to date.

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\u201cFans around the world can mark their calendars and look ahead with excitement and certainty to a Series which promises to be highly competitive and intense from the start to finish with Paris 2024 Olympic qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings.

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\u201cThe sense of anticipation from players and fans to return to much-loved venues such as Hong Kong, Hamilton and Sydney is especially high after missing out in recent years due to the effects of the global pandemic, and we are pleased to see Vancouver welcome the women\u2019s tournament as part of a combined event in 2023.\u201d

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\u201cI would like to express gratitude to our title partner HSBC, as well as DHL, Capgemini and Gilbert for their excellent support and commitment to the Series over what has been a challenging period for all. Thanks also to our host partners and all stakeholders who put in a tremendous effort to help us deliver a Series that goes from strength to strength.

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\u201cResearch insights have demonstrated that sevens plays a vital role in reaching and engaging new fans, particularly in emerging rugby nations and World Rugby is fully committed to the sustainable growth, innovation and success of rugby sevens as a highly impactful and successful Olympic sport with a very bright future.\u201d

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HSBC Global Head of Brand and Brand Partnerships Jonathan Castleman said: \u201cWe are thrilled that the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to full strength in 2023 as we work with together with World Rugby to build back better following a challenging period for the world and the game.

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\u201cWe are also looking forward to seeing more of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams playing together at more legs around the world as we continue to celebrate and strive for more opportunities for the players.\u201d

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Jamie Levchuk, Interim CEO and Managing Director, Revenue and Fan Engagement, Rugby Canada said: \u201cWe are delighted to confirm we will be hosting a combined women\u2019s and men\u2019s HSBC Canada Sevens event in Vancouver in 2023. We have strived to provide an equal platform for the women\u2019s and men\u2019s games and we’re\u00a0excited to welcome the best women\u2019s and men\u2019s Sevens teams in the world to BC Place for a three-day event on 3-5 March, 2023.

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\u201cWe would like to acknowledge the City of Langford for being such an incredible host of our HSBC Canada Women\u2019s Sevens since 2015. Langford remains the home of Rugby Canada and we look forward to continuing hosting international events at Starlight Stadium in the future.\u201d

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The post Olympic qualification at stake as bumper HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 schedule announced appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "A blockbuster schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 has been announced today with a full roster of teams and hosts as the dynamic, high octane Olympic sport continues to grow, evolve and engage new fans around the globe.\n\nHSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 bigger than ever with full strength line-up of teams and hosts\nOlympic qualification at stake with top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in 2023 Series securing their tickets to Paris 2024.\nMen\u2019s Series involves a record-equalling 11 rounds, including two in Hong Kong, with the opening round on 4-6 November 2022, before returning on 31 March-2 April 2023\nWomen\u2019s Series includes a record seven rounds, an increase of one from 2022, and begins in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022\nAustralia will aim to defend their women\u2019s crown while the men\u2019s 2022 Series title will be decided in Los Angeles on 27-28 August\nRugby sevens continues to grow and evolve following highly impactful Olympics in Tokyo\n\nA blockbuster schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 has been announced today with a full roster of teams and hosts as the dynamic, high octane Olympic sport continues to grow, evolve and engage new fans around the globe.\nThe competition will be intense from start to finish with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 \u00a0qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings.\nThe men\u2019s Series will include a record-equalling 11 rounds, uniquely featuring two events in Hong Kong, which is set to host the first round on 4-6 November 2022.\nVIEW 2023 SERIES SCHEDULE >>\nThe women\u2019s Series involves a record seven rounds and will kick off in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022 in the first of four consecutive men\u2019s and women\u2019s combined events. Dubai is followed by Cape Town, South Africa on 9-11 December before all teams will compete in Hamilton, New Zealand (21-22 January) and Sydney, Australia (27-29 January) for the first time since 2020.\n>> WATCH HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES 2023 CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT\nThe men\u2019s Series then lands in Los Angeles, USA on 25-26 February before a combined round in Vancouver, Canada on 3-5 March, which sees a change from previous Series as the women\u2019s tournament joins together with the men\u2019s in front of the famously large, loud and colourful crowd at BC Place.\nBoth men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams then move on to Hong Kong for the traditional blockbuster event on 31 March \u2013 2 April, followed by a men\u2019s round in Singapore on 8-9 April.\nThe women\u2019s Series will reach it\u2019s exciting conclusion in Toulouse, France as part of a combined event on 12-14 May, with the men\u2019s finale coming a week later in London, England on 20-21 May to bring down the curtain on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023.\nFollowing a dominant display in 2022 Australia\u2019s women will be aiming to defend their crown in 2023 but will face stiff competition from the likes of Olympic medallists New Zealand, France and Fiji, along with the impressive USA and fast improving Ireland among others.\nVIEW 2022 SERIES STANDINGS >>\nThe men\u2019s 2022 Series title is yet to be decided with the final round taking place in Los Angeles on 27-28 August following an outstanding, highly competitive event in front of more than 74,000 fans at Twickenham Stadium in London over the past weekend.\nSouth Africa won the first four rounds in succession before double Olympic champions Fiji returned to the Series with thrilling title winning performances in Singapore and Toulouse, while Argentina claimed their first Series victory in 14 years in Vancouver, and Australia took gold in London. With the likes of Olympic silver medallists New Zealand also back in action the 2023 Series promises to be very hotly contested.\nBefore the 2023 Series kicks off, rugby sevens players and fans will enjoy a very busy and exciting period over the forthcoming months with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July, followed by the climax of the men\u2019s 2022 Series in Los Angeles in August and the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town on 9-11 September.\nA World Rugby Challenger Series event is also set to take place in August, providing a pathway for one men\u2019s and one women\u2019s team to gain promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. Details of the Challenger Series event are due to be announced shortly.\nFollowing outstanding men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July 2021, the Series continues to reach new fans. Independent research showed rugby sevens\u2019 second Olympic appearance to be hugely impactful for the sport in engaging and inspiring new, younger and more diverse fans across the globe, particularly in emerging rugby nations with 54 per cent agreeing the Olympics increased their interest in the sport and 63 per cent watching sevens for the first time.\nWorld Rugby\u2019s youth oriented social media content from the Olympic Games in Tokyo achieved huge success with 22 million video views, more than 100 million impressions and 3.4 million public engagements from 2,400 posts across five World Rugby platforms as part of the international federation\u2019s \u2018This is how we sevens\u2019 engagement campaign.\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cFollowing a uniquely challenging period for global sport, we are delighted to announce that rugby sevens is back to full force with a full line-up of hosts and teams for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2023, which is the biggest to date.\n\u201cFans around the world can mark their calendars and look ahead with excitement and certainty to a Series which promises to be highly competitive and intense from the start to finish with Paris 2024 Olympic qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings.\n\u201cThe sense of anticipation from players and fans to return to much-loved venues such as Hong Kong, Hamilton and Sydney is especially high after missing out in recent years due to the effects of the global pandemic, and we are pleased to see Vancouver welcome the women\u2019s tournament as part of a combined event in 2023.\u201d\n\u201cI would like to express gratitude to our title partner HSBC, as well as DHL, Capgemini and Gilbert for their excellent support and commitment to the Series over what has been a challenging period for all. Thanks also to our host partners and all stakeholders who put in a tremendous effort to help us deliver a Series that goes from strength to strength.\n\u201cResearch insights have demonstrated that sevens plays a vital role in reaching and engaging new fans, particularly in emerging rugby nations and World Rugby is fully committed to the sustainable growth, innovation and success of rugby sevens as a highly impactful and successful Olympic sport with a very bright future.\u201d\nHSBC Global Head of Brand and Brand Partnerships Jonathan Castleman said: \u201cWe are thrilled that the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to full strength in 2023 as we work with together with World Rugby to build back better following a challenging period for the world and the game.\n\u201cWe are also looking forward to seeing more of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams playing together at more legs around the world as we continue to celebrate and strive for more opportunities for the players.\u201d\nJamie Levchuk, Interim CEO and Managing Director, Revenue and Fan Engagement, Rugby Canada said: \u201cWe are delighted to confirm we will be hosting a combined women\u2019s and men\u2019s HSBC Canada Sevens event in Vancouver in 2023. We have strived to provide an equal platform for the women\u2019s and men\u2019s games and we’re\u00a0excited to welcome the best women\u2019s and men\u2019s Sevens teams in the world to BC Place for a three-day event on 3-5 March, 2023.\n\u201cWe would like to acknowledge the City of Langford for being such an incredible host of our HSBC Canada Women\u2019s Sevens since 2015. Langford remains the home of Rugby Canada and we look forward to continuing hosting international events at Starlight Stadium in the future.\u201d\nThe post Olympic qualification at stake as bumper HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 schedule announced appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-05-31T17:32:40+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-05-31T17:35:38+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Olympic-qualification.jpg", "tags": [ "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8727", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/05/30/australia-earn-stunning-gold-in-london-as-hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-title-race-goes-down-to-the-wire/", "title": "Australia earn stunning gold in London as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title race goes down to the wire", "content_html": "

Australia claimed their first Series gold medal since 2018 with a golden point victory over the All Blacks Sevens, while Fiji bagged bronze and South Africa reclaimed top spot in the Series standings despite finishing fifth.

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The battle for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title will go down to the final event after Australia defeated New Zealand with a golden-point victory to claim their first gold medal of the season in London.

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History was made as HSBC Player of the Final Henry Paterson ran in a hat-trick of tries to lead the Aussie Sevens to their first Cup final victory over the All Blacks Sevens in 20 years.

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VIEW ALL HSBC LONDON SEVENS RESULTS >>>

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Their victory came after Fiji took bronze, while the remaining title contenders South Africa and Argentina finished fifth and ninth respectively.

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That series of results saw the Blitzboks reclaim top spot in the standings with 124 points, two ahead of Australia on 122.

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SCENES IN LONDON!! \"\ud83d\ude4c\"@Aussie7s wins gold after a dramatic Extra-Time winner from Henry Paterson! \"\ud83d\udc4f\"#HSBC7s | #London7s pic.twitter.com/RNVgPIbj5L

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\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022

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Argentina are third with 118 points, while Fiji in fourth have 104 points.

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This season, the best seven results will be used for the final Series standings, leaving the crown up for grabs ahead of the final event of the season in Los Angeles in August.

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SEE THE LATEST HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES STANDINGS >>>

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New Zealand issued a strong response after being knocked out at the Pool stage for the first time ever in Toulouse last weekend, reaching the final before narrowly losing 19-14 in extra-time.

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Fiji\u2019s bronze, which they claimed after a thrilling 31-26 win over Samoa, saw them medal for a fourth consecutive tournament.

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But it was another disappointing day for South Africa, winners of the first four tournaments of the season, who blew a 17-point lead to lose to Australia in the quarter-finals on a weekend where they had a chance to wrap up the Series title if results went their way.

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Paterson puts on a show

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History wasn\u2019t on Australia\u2019s side ahead of the final, as they had not beaten New Zealand in a final for 20 years, and lost eight of 10 finals against their old rivals overall.

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The deadlock was eventually broken with 30 seconds remaining of a cagey first half, when Paterson received a clever reverse pass to go under the posts.

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New Zealand came out firing after the break, as Akuila Rokolisoa burst through two defenders to level things up, before Leroy Carter went over the whitewash to turn the game on its head.

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But Paterson showed his class once more with his second try of the game and sixth of the weekend, gathering the ball at a standstill midway into his own half before showing the pace to go the distance.

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Paterson was Australia\u2019s hero once again when he made a superb try-saving tackle in the final play of regulation time, forcing Caleb Tangitau into touch to send the game into extra time.

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The Australian finished off a virtuoso performance by darting into the corner to score the winning golden point try, leading to jubilant scenes as the Aussies Sevens players piled on top of each other to celebrate their first gold of the season.

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Fiji bag bronze

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Sometimes the ball just bounces you way! \"\ud83e\udd37\"\"\u2618\"#HSBC7s | #London7s | @IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/NWKjjPYXMn

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\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022

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Fiji came out on top in a thrilling battle for bronze against Samoa, running out 31-26 winners in a try fest to keep their Series title hopes alive with a fourth consecutive medal.

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Paul Scanlan almost immediately put Samoa in front, but Fiji issued a strong response as Elia Canakaivata showed immense strength to bulldoze through two tackles and reach the line, before Napolioni Bolaca dotted down twice as the Flying Fijians put on a showcase of pace and power.

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A wonderful round-the-corner offload sent Pilipo Bukayaro through for Fiji\u2019s fourth try and his sixth of the weekend, but Jeremaia Matana\u2019s yellow card offered the Samoans a route back into the game and they took advantage, as Vaa Apelu Maliku and Uaina Sione crossed to make it a five-point game.

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Josua Vakurunabili was next to cross and extend Fiji\u2019s lead once again, but Maliko raced onto a kick in behind to score his second and reduce the deficit once more to set up a thrilling finale where Fiji did enough to hold on for victory.

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All Blacks Sevens launch stunning comeback

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New Zealand left high-flying Fiji stunned in the first semi-final, coming from 14 points behind to end their opponents\u2019 19-match winning run at Twickenham in dramatic fashion.

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Fiji started strongly as Viwa Naduvalo crossed twice, either side of a score from in-form New Zealand flyer Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, and Waisea Nacuqu added a third before half time to leave the Pacific Islanders\u2019 large support in delirium at a 19-5 lead.

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But the Kiwis soon mustered a stirring comeback, sparked by Kitiona Vai\u2019s try in the corner early in the second half.

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Joe Webber then held off a tackle to offload to Dylan Collier and send him under the posts, narrowing the gap to two points, and the turnaround was complete when Akuila Rokolisoa caught out the Fijian defence by darting down the blindside from the back of a ruck to make it 22-19.

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Fiji responded as Nacuqu powered over in the corner under two tackles, but a TMO review showed he lost control of the ball, and it was New Zealand who progressed to their 100th\u00a0Series Cup final.

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Australia stretched their winning run against Samoa to eight matches as they reached the final, running out 26-14 victors to continue their impressive record of never losing a London semi-final.

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Series leading points scorer Dietrich Roache took his tally to 274 for the season with the opening try midway through the first half, before Matthew Gonzalez and Henry Paterson crossed to put the Aussies Sevens 19-0 up by half time.

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Uaiana Sione burst through a tackle to cross and get Samoa back in it, but Corey Toole showed fine football skills by chasing his own kick to gather and extend Australia\u2019s lead, and Owen Fetu\u2019s late try was too little too late for the Samoans.

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Ireland fall just short

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The next – and final – stop on the men’s #HSBC7s Series #LA7s pic.twitter.com/2kndd61NtY

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\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022

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A dominant first half performance from Fiji sent them on their way to a 36-10 win over England in the first quarter-final, marking a sixth consecutive victory for the Flying Fijians at this stage of the London 7s.

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Josua Vakuranbili and Pilipo Bukayaro both notched braces as Fiji ran in six tries against the penalty-prone hosts, but Alex Davis restored some pride in the second half with a double that saw him reach the personal landmark of 50 Series tries.

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Ireland\u2019s bid to record their first ever win over New Zealand got off to a bad start as the All Blacks Sevens ran into a 12-0 lead by half-time thanks to McGarvey-Black and Brady Rush tries, but the Series\u2019 leading try scorer Terry Kennedy reduced the deficit after the break with his 45th\u00a0score of the season and sixth in London.

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As the Irish pushed for a winning score inside the final minute, the All Blacks Sevens pounced on a loose ball and launched a counter-attack that led to Leroy Carter\u2019s game-winning score in a 17-7 victory.

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Spain were targeting their first ever Cup quarter-final victory against Samoa, but found themselves with a lot of work to do after Steve Rimoni and Paul Scanlan tries got the Islanders off to a strong start.

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The Spaniards responded well despite being down to six men, striking back through Manu Moreno and Eduardo Lopez to draw level, only for Samoa to run in four tries in the final five minutes to run out comfortable 34-12 winners and reach a third consecutive Cup semi-final.

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Blitzboks crash out early

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In the crucial fourth quarter-final, South Africa knew a win could send them on their way to being crowned Series champions in London.

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Neil Powell\u2019s men got off to a dream start as captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, Muller du Plessis and Ronald Brown scored to give the Blitzboks a commanding 17-0 lead.

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However, Ben Dowling struck back before the break to give the Aussies belief, and they turned the game around in the second half thanks to a double from Paterson.

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There were concerns at the end of the game when Du Plessis suffered a head injury and needed to be stretchered off, but Springboks Sevens later tweeted: \u201cGood news is that Muller Du Plessis is fine\u201d.

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The Blitzboks were left with a penalty near the halfway line and one last chance to grab victory, but after a long period of play Australia captain Nick Malouf won a penalty at the breakdown to cap a thrilling 21-17 victory.

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South Africa clinch fifth

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South Africa edged out Ireland in the fifth-place playoff with a 14-5 victory to end a disappointing weekend on a high.

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The two sides defeated Spain (24-12) and England (36-12) respectively, and there was a big moment for Blitzboks star Branco Du Preez when he spun out of a tackle to touch down his 100th\u00a0Series try against the Spanish.

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Argentina made amends for their Pool stage exit by finishing as the best of the rest from those who didn\u2019t make the knockout stages, beating Canada (28-7) in the quarter-finals, Scotland (26-12) in the semis and USA (31-5) in the playoff to seal ninth place.

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Canada and Japan faced off in the 13th\u00a0place playoff after defeating Wales (22-21) and Kenya (14-5) respectively, and the Canadians ran out 26-19 winners against the relegation-battling Japanese 16th\u00a0seeds.

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What\u2019s next?

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The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title is still up for grabs when the show rolls over to the USA for the final event of the season in Los Angeles.

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The season-ending tournament takes place on 27 and 28 August at the Dignity Health Sports Park.

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The post Australia earn stunning gold in London as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title race goes down to the wire appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Australia claimed their first Series gold medal since 2018 with a golden point victory over the All Blacks Sevens, while Fiji bagged bronze and South Africa reclaimed top spot in the Series standings despite finishing fifth.\n\nHat-trick hero Henry Paterson leads Australia to gold against New Zealand\nSouth Africa go two points clear on top of Series standings\nTitle will be decided in season-ending Los Angeles event on August 27 and 28\nFiji take bronze after beating Samoa in thriller\nSouth Africa blow 17-point in quarter-final loss to Australia\nPrevious Series leaders Argentina finish ninth\n\nThe battle for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title will go down to the final event after Australia defeated New Zealand with a golden-point victory to claim their first gold medal of the season in London.\nHistory was made as HSBC Player of the Final Henry Paterson ran in a hat-trick of tries to lead the Aussie Sevens to their first Cup final victory over the All Blacks Sevens in 20 years.\nVIEW ALL HSBC LONDON SEVENS RESULTS >>>\nTheir victory came after Fiji took bronze, while the remaining title contenders South Africa and Argentina finished fifth and ninth respectively.\nThat series of results saw the Blitzboks reclaim top spot in the standings with 124 points, two ahead of Australia on 122.\n\nSCENES IN LONDON!! @Aussie7s wins gold after a dramatic Extra-Time winner from Henry Paterson! #HSBC7s | #London7s pic.twitter.com/RNVgPIbj5L\n\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022\n\nArgentina are third with 118 points, while Fiji in fourth have 104 points.\nThis season, the best seven results will be used for the final Series standings, leaving the crown up for grabs ahead of the final event of the season in Los Angeles in August.\nSEE THE LATEST HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES STANDINGS >>>\nNew Zealand issued a strong response after being knocked out at the Pool stage for the first time ever in Toulouse last weekend, reaching the final before narrowly losing 19-14 in extra-time.\nFiji\u2019s bronze, which they claimed after a thrilling 31-26 win over Samoa, saw them medal for a fourth consecutive tournament.\nBut it was another disappointing day for South Africa, winners of the first four tournaments of the season, who blew a 17-point lead to lose to Australia in the quarter-finals on a weekend where they had a chance to wrap up the Series title if results went their way.\nPaterson puts on a show\nHistory wasn\u2019t on Australia\u2019s side ahead of the final, as they had not beaten New Zealand in a final for 20 years, and lost eight of 10 finals against their old rivals overall.\nThe deadlock was eventually broken with 30 seconds remaining of a cagey first half, when Paterson received a clever reverse pass to go under the posts.\nNew Zealand came out firing after the break, as Akuila Rokolisoa burst through two defenders to level things up, before Leroy Carter went over the whitewash to turn the game on its head.\nBut Paterson showed his class once more with his second try of the game and sixth of the weekend, gathering the ball at a standstill midway into his own half before showing the pace to go the distance.\nPaterson was Australia\u2019s hero once again when he made a superb try-saving tackle in the final play of regulation time, forcing Caleb Tangitau into touch to send the game into extra time.\nThe Australian finished off a virtuoso performance by darting into the corner to score the winning golden point try, leading to jubilant scenes as the Aussies Sevens players piled on top of each other to celebrate their first gold of the season.\nFiji bag bronze\n\nSometimes the ball just bounces you way! #HSBC7s | #London7s | @IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/NWKjjPYXMn\n\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022\n\nFiji came out on top in a thrilling battle for bronze against Samoa, running out 31-26 winners in a try fest to keep their Series title hopes alive with a fourth consecutive medal.\nPaul Scanlan almost immediately put Samoa in front, but Fiji issued a strong response as Elia Canakaivata showed immense strength to bulldoze through two tackles and reach the line, before Napolioni Bolaca dotted down twice as the Flying Fijians put on a showcase of pace and power.\nA wonderful round-the-corner offload sent Pilipo Bukayaro through for Fiji\u2019s fourth try and his sixth of the weekend, but Jeremaia Matana\u2019s yellow card offered the Samoans a route back into the game and they took advantage, as Vaa Apelu Maliku and Uaina Sione crossed to make it a five-point game.\nJosua Vakurunabili was next to cross and extend Fiji\u2019s lead once again, but Maliko raced onto a kick in behind to score his second and reduce the deficit once more to set up a thrilling finale where Fiji did enough to hold on for victory.\nAll Blacks Sevens launch stunning comeback\nNew Zealand left high-flying Fiji stunned in the first semi-final, coming from 14 points behind to end their opponents\u2019 19-match winning run at Twickenham in dramatic fashion.\nFiji started strongly as Viwa Naduvalo crossed twice, either side of a score from in-form New Zealand flyer Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, and Waisea Nacuqu added a third before half time to leave the Pacific Islanders\u2019 large support in delirium at a 19-5 lead.\nBut the Kiwis soon mustered a stirring comeback, sparked by Kitiona Vai\u2019s try in the corner early in the second half.\nJoe Webber then held off a tackle to offload to Dylan Collier and send him under the posts, narrowing the gap to two points, and the turnaround was complete when Akuila Rokolisoa caught out the Fijian defence by darting down the blindside from the back of a ruck to make it 22-19.\nFiji responded as Nacuqu powered over in the corner under two tackles, but a TMO review showed he lost control of the ball, and it was New Zealand who progressed to their 100th\u00a0Series Cup final.\nAustralia stretched their winning run against Samoa to eight matches as they reached the final, running out 26-14 victors to continue their impressive record of never losing a London semi-final.\nSeries leading points scorer Dietrich Roache took his tally to 274 for the season with the opening try midway through the first half, before Matthew Gonzalez and Henry Paterson crossed to put the Aussies Sevens 19-0 up by half time.\nUaiana Sione burst through a tackle to cross and get Samoa back in it, but Corey Toole showed fine football skills by chasing his own kick to gather and extend Australia\u2019s lead, and Owen Fetu\u2019s late try was too little too late for the Samoans.\nIreland fall just short\n\nThe next – and final – stop on the men’s #HSBC7s Series #LA7s pic.twitter.com/2kndd61NtY\n\u2014 World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) May 29, 2022\n\nA dominant first half performance from Fiji sent them on their way to a 36-10 win over England in the first quarter-final, marking a sixth consecutive victory for the Flying Fijians at this stage of the London 7s.\nJosua Vakuranbili and Pilipo Bukayaro both notched braces as Fiji ran in six tries against the penalty-prone hosts, but Alex Davis restored some pride in the second half with a double that saw him reach the personal landmark of 50 Series tries.\nIreland\u2019s bid to record their first ever win over New Zealand got off to a bad start as the All Blacks Sevens ran into a 12-0 lead by half-time thanks to McGarvey-Black and Brady Rush tries, but the Series\u2019 leading try scorer Terry Kennedy reduced the deficit after the break with his 45th\u00a0score of the season and sixth in London.\nAs the Irish pushed for a winning score inside the final minute, the All Blacks Sevens pounced on a loose ball and launched a counter-attack that led to Leroy Carter\u2019s game-winning score in a 17-7 victory.\nSpain were targeting their first ever Cup quarter-final victory against Samoa, but found themselves with a lot of work to do after Steve Rimoni and Paul Scanlan tries got the Islanders off to a strong start.\nThe Spaniards responded well despite being down to six men, striking back through Manu Moreno and Eduardo Lopez to draw level, only for Samoa to run in four tries in the final five minutes to run out comfortable 34-12 winners and reach a third consecutive Cup semi-final.\nBlitzboks crash out early\nIn the crucial fourth quarter-final, South Africa knew a win could send them on their way to being crowned Series champions in London.\nNeil Powell\u2019s men got off to a dream start as captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, Muller du Plessis and Ronald Brown scored to give the Blitzboks a commanding 17-0 lead.\nHowever, Ben Dowling struck back before the break to give the Aussies belief, and they turned the game around in the second half thanks to a double from Paterson.\nThere were concerns at the end of the game when Du Plessis suffered a head injury and needed to be stretchered off, but Springboks Sevens later tweeted: \u201cGood news is that Muller Du Plessis is fine\u201d.\nThe Blitzboks were left with a penalty near the halfway line and one last chance to grab victory, but after a long period of play Australia captain Nick Malouf won a penalty at the breakdown to cap a thrilling 21-17 victory.\nSouth Africa clinch fifth\nSouth Africa edged out Ireland in the fifth-place playoff with a 14-5 victory to end a disappointing weekend on a high.\nThe two sides defeated Spain (24-12) and England (36-12) respectively, and there was a big moment for Blitzboks star Branco Du Preez when he spun out of a tackle to touch down his 100th\u00a0Series try against the Spanish.\nArgentina made amends for their Pool stage exit by finishing as the best of the rest from those who didn\u2019t make the knockout stages, beating Canada (28-7) in the quarter-finals, Scotland (26-12) in the semis and USA (31-5) in the playoff to seal ninth place.\nCanada and Japan faced off in the 13th\u00a0place playoff after defeating Wales (22-21) and Kenya (14-5) respectively, and the Canadians ran out 26-19 winners against the relegation-battling Japanese 16th\u00a0seeds.\nWhat\u2019s next?\nThe HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title is still up for grabs when the show rolls over to the USA for the final event of the season in Los Angeles.\nThe season-ending tournament takes place on 27 and 28 August at the Dignity Health Sports Park.\nThe post Australia earn stunning gold in London as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title race goes down to the wire appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-05-30T09:00:06+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-05-30T09:01:47+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Australia-earn-stunning-gold-in-London.jpg", "tags": [ "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Australia Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8718", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/05/28/london-welcomes-the-stars-of-rugby-sevens/", "title": "London welcomes the stars of rugby sevens", "content_html": "

A huge crowd will welcome all 16 core teams for the penultimate round of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at Twickenham Stadium on 28-29 May with all to play for in the race for the 2022 Series title.

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The captains of the 16 teams competing at the HSBC London Sevens at Twickenham Stadium this weekend were treated to an open-top bus ride past some of London\u2019s iconic landmarks on Wednesday.

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The teams have arrived in England\u2019s capital ready to showcase the speed, skill and drama of world-class rugby sevens in front of a huge crowd, with more than 68,000 tickets already sold for the penultimate round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022.

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Competition will be intense as Argentina enter the tournament in pole position at the top of the Series rankings for the first time ever, the South Americans have 118 points after seven rounds, ahead of South Africa on 116 points and Australia with 110 points.

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Double Olympic champions Fiji will enter the event high on confidence after reaching the final in the last three rounds, winning gold twice in Toulouse and Singapore. Fiji are defending champions in London having won the title the last time the event took place in 2019.

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Despite missing two rounds, Fiji could yet be in with a chance to clinch the Series title as only the best seven from nine results will count towards the final Series position in a unique scoring system introduced to ensure fairness in this COVID-19 affected year.

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VIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>

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Fiji will face the USA, Spain and Wales in Pool A in London.

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Fiji captain Tevita Daugunu said: \u201cWe are really looking forward to playing here in London and hopefully we can back up our performance from last weekend. All the teams are getting more competitive tournament by tournament so if you want to win you have to work really hard.

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\u201cFor the majority of the squad this is our first time in London. There is a lot of Fiji fans here and we hope they will come out to support us in big numbers. We are really looking forward to playing at Twickenham this weekend.\u201d

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Series leaders Argentina and South Africa are paired in Pool B, along with fifth placed Ireland \u2013 beaten finalists in Toulouse last weekend \u2013 and Kenya.

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Argentina\u2019s World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Marcos Moneta said: \u201cIt feels great to be at the top of the standings for the first time, it is because of the hard work that we are putting in and it feels good to be competing with the big teams like South Africa, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and others.

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\u201cOur objective is always to improve as a team. London is going to be really competitive, even in the pool stages. I\u2019m really excited to play at Twickenham, it is a great stadium \u2013 the capital of rugby.\u201d

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VIEW POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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Pool C sees antipodean rivals Australia and New Zealand drawn together with France \u2013 bronze medallists on home soil last weekend \u2013 and Canada.

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Hosts England will be looking to take inspiration from the supportive home crowd as they play Samoa, Japan and Scotland \u2013 who were title winners in London in 2016 and 2017.

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VIEW TEAM SQUADS >>

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Play gets under way at 09:10 local time (BST) on Saturday with a mouthwatering clash between New Zealand and Australia. Remaining tickets are available from\u00a0www.twickenhamstadium.com/hsbc-london-sevens/tickets\u00a0with finals taking place on Sunday.

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Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

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WHERE TO WATCH >>

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Australia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse last weekend. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.

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The England women\u2019s team will showcase their skills to the Twickenham Stadium crowd in practice matches as part of the programme for the HSBC London Sevens this weekend. The schedule for the 2023 Series is due to be announced next week.

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The year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens. Alongside the Series, the Commonwealth Games will take place in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July, and following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles on 27-28 August, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.

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The post London welcomes the stars of rugby sevens appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "A huge crowd will welcome all 16 core teams for the penultimate round of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at Twickenham Stadium on 28-29 May with all to play for in the race for the 2022 Series title.\n\nA huge crowd will welcome all 16 core teams on the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to Twickenham Stadium on 28-29 May\nWith two rounds to play Argentina lead the men\u2019s Series with 118 points, ahead of South Africa on 116 points and Australia with 110 points\nDouble Olympic champions Fiji are defending the London title last contested in 2019, and will be high in confidence following victory in Toulouse last weekend\nThe action kicks off on Saturday, 28 May at 09:10 BST with a mouthwatering clash between New Zealand and Australia\nA huge crowd is expected with more than 68,000 tickets sold, remaining tickets are available\u00a0here\n\nThe captains of the 16 teams competing at the HSBC London Sevens at Twickenham Stadium this weekend were treated to an open-top bus ride past some of London\u2019s iconic landmarks on Wednesday.\nThe teams have arrived in England\u2019s capital ready to showcase the speed, skill and drama of world-class rugby sevens in front of a huge crowd, with more than 68,000 tickets already sold for the penultimate round of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022.\nCompetition will be intense as Argentina enter the tournament in pole position at the top of the Series rankings for the first time ever, the South Americans have 118 points after seven rounds, ahead of South Africa on 116 points and Australia with 110 points.\nDouble Olympic champions Fiji will enter the event high on confidence after reaching the final in the last three rounds, winning gold twice in Toulouse and Singapore. Fiji are defending champions in London having won the title the last time the event took place in 2019.\nDespite missing two rounds, Fiji could yet be in with a chance to clinch the Series title as only the best seven from nine results will count towards the final Series position in a unique scoring system introduced to ensure fairness in this COVID-19 affected year.\nVIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>\nFiji will face the USA, Spain and Wales in Pool A in London.\nFiji captain Tevita Daugunu said: \u201cWe are really looking forward to playing here in London and hopefully we can back up our performance from last weekend. All the teams are getting more competitive tournament by tournament so if you want to win you have to work really hard.\n\u201cFor the majority of the squad this is our first time in London. There is a lot of Fiji fans here and we hope they will come out to support us in big numbers. We are really looking forward to playing at Twickenham this weekend.\u201d\nSeries leaders Argentina and South Africa are paired in Pool B, along with fifth placed Ireland \u2013 beaten finalists in Toulouse last weekend \u2013 and Kenya.\nArgentina\u2019s World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Marcos Moneta said: \u201cIt feels great to be at the top of the standings for the first time, it is because of the hard work that we are putting in and it feels good to be competing with the big teams like South Africa, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand and others.\n\u201cOur objective is always to improve as a team. London is going to be really competitive, even in the pool stages. I\u2019m really excited to play at Twickenham, it is a great stadium \u2013 the capital of rugby.\u201d\nVIEW POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nPool C sees antipodean rivals Australia and New Zealand drawn together with France \u2013 bronze medallists on home soil last weekend \u2013 and Canada.\nHosts England will be looking to take inspiration from the supportive home crowd as they play Samoa, Japan and Scotland \u2013 who were title winners in London in 2016 and 2017.\nVIEW TEAM SQUADS >>\nPlay gets under way at 09:10 local time (BST) on Saturday with a mouthwatering clash between New Zealand and Australia. Remaining tickets are available from\u00a0www.twickenhamstadium.com/hsbc-london-sevens/tickets\u00a0with finals taking place on Sunday.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nAustralia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse last weekend. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.\nThe England women\u2019s team will showcase their skills to the Twickenham Stadium crowd in practice matches as part of the programme for the HSBC London Sevens this weekend. The schedule for the 2023 Series is due to be announced next week.\nThe year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens. Alongside the Series, the Commonwealth Games will take place in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July, and following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles on 27-28 August, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.\nThe post London welcomes the stars of rugby sevens appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-05-28T15:57:47+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-05-28T16:00:11+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/World-Rugby-Sevens.jpg", "tags": [ "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series", "HSBC", "World Rugby Sevens", "Featured", "News" ] } ] }