Five reasons not to miss a moment of the women’s HSBC SVNS Vancouver

A home team in form with stars back to bolster the ranks, a mass of try scorers chasing and breaking records and a number of fast-improving teams, the women’s HSBC SVNS tournament in Vancouver is set to be a stunner.

Here is why you will want to tune in from the whistle:

1. A chance to watch history happen

It is well-worth being on Michaela Brake watch this weekend. The 29-year-old has the opportunity to grab the title of the all-time greatest women’s sevens try scorer.

Brake, who has already touched down seven times this season, needs three more scores to sail past compatriot Portia Woodman-Wickliffe’s iconic record of 256 tries.

To do it in Vancouver, where Woodman-Wickliffe notched a hat-trick in last season’s final, would seem appropriate. It will be no surprise to read that Brake – 254 tries in 224 matches so far – is in top form too, after a hat-trick in the Perth semifinal and a double in the final.

Anticipation levels will hit fever-pitch every time she touches it.

2. Check out if a new Aussie star has been born

Lose reigning World Rugby Women’s Sevens player of the year, someone with 30 tries in 14 SVNS matches this season, and you might expect to suffer. The fact Australia not only survived the injury to Maddison Levi in Perth, but still grabbed gold was in no small part down to Heidi Dennis.

She made her SVNS debut in the semi-final, scoring a try in a narrow 24-17 win over Canada. And then she followed it up with two more scores in the big dance, en-route to snapping up the ‘Player of the Final’ award.

Oh, and she is only 19. Tune in to see what the teenager does next.

3. Find out if France are ready to disrupt the big two

It has been seven tournaments and 13 months since a name other than Australia or New Zealand graced a women’s SVNS trophy. But France look primed to stop that streak and put themselves up in headlights.

Three third place finishes in a row shows just how close they are, with victory over season standing leaders Australia in Cape Town’s bronze medal playoff a highlight.

Such sustained excellence has kept them in touch with the two front runners, despite their dominance – France are just six points behind New Zealand and eight behind Australia.

Add in the form of superstar Anne-Cecile Ciofani (12 tries this season and counting) and great BC Place memories (silver medallists a year ago after beating Australia in a semi-final thriller) and they may just be ready to take the next step.

4. Watch on as fans go wild for Olympic stars

Playing at home, in form and with the prospect of welcoming back a quartet of stars, one of whom is on the brink of a major milestone: the omens look good for Canadian success in Vancouver.

A young squad has improved with each tournament this season, fourth in Perth last time out the highlight. But now, back in BC Place where they grabbed bronze last year, Paris 2024 silver medallists Alysha Corrigan, Charity Williams, Fancy Bermudez and Krissy Scurfield return to add real ballast to the squad.

That takes their tally of Olympic medal winners up to nine and with Williams just one try away from her 100^th international touchdown, it could be a weekend to remember for the locals.

5. See if new nations can spring surprises

In a development that will please fans everywhere, matches are getting ever harder to predict in the women’s SVNS series.

Take Day One in Perth. Japan, USA and Canada all eased through to the quarter-finals with two wins each. While Canada went on to shine brightest (see above) Japan secured one of the unsung results of the tournament, beating the USA in the fifth-place playoff to secure their best ever SVNS result.

The signs are good further down too. Brazil, led by the brilliant Thalia Costa who became her nation’s first ever century-plus try scorer, downed newbies China by just two points in the seventh-place playoff. That secured season-best finishes for both.

Expect more from these fast-rising teams.