Five reasons to tune in to the women’s HSBC SVNS Singapore

The HSBC SVNS season has reached its league climax, and you would be mad to miss a moment. Everywhere you look in Singapore there are winner-takes-all clashes:

1. NZL v AUS: the title decider

New Zealand and Australia have lit up the 2024/25 women’s SVNS season and in Singapore fans will get to see the world’s best go head-to-head once more, this time with a league title on the line.

The Black Ferns have the advantage and it’s a sizeable one. Their eight-point lead is built on the back of a mighty impressive three golds and two silvers from the five SVNS stops so far. Such unrelenting form means the Aussies (two golds, a silver, a bronze and a fourth-place finish) have to win and hope their Trans-Tasman rivals finish sixth or lower.

While that may seem unthinkable, with the worst finish for Sarah Hirini’s team in almost two SVNS seasons being their fifth place in Perth last year, it is worth bearing in mind sport loves to make us all look foolish.

2. Brutal battle for Grand Final spots

From London to Suva via Rio de Janeiro, nerves will be shredded this weekend as fans pray their SVNS stars can book tickets to Los Angeles for the Grand Final, 3-4 May.

Great Britain, Fiji and Brazil know that anything can happen once you are at the Big Dance, but one of the three will face the agony of missing out on the spectacular season finale.

GBR’s tough weekend in Hong Kong, including an extra-time loss to an inspired China in the ninth-place semi-final playoff, has left them looking fearfully over their shoulders. Currently sat in the eighth and final qualifying spot, the British have seen their advantage over an inspired Brazil cut to just five points.

Both nations will be hoping they can produce their best and leapfrog Fiji, who are a single point clear in seventh. In a sign of just what can happen, the Pacific Islanders were 11^th a few weeks ago...

3. Game on with the rest finding their best

The great thing for fans – while perhaps being slightly concerning for those at the top and bottom – is that a number of big hitters seem to be finding form at just the right time.

The bronze medal playoff between Canada and France was arguably the match of the weekend in Hong Kong – quite a claim for a tournament that dazzled from start to finish. Both teams looked back to their best in the Kai Tak Stadium, with Olympic silver medallists Canada snatching a thrilling 21-17 win.

Add on the surging Fiji and a Japan team that came within a final minute knock-on of beating Australia in Hong Kong, and it is clear, there will be fireworks in Singapore.  

4. Format favours the brave

For the second time this season, the 12 teams will face-off in four pools of three on day one, with just the winners heading to the semifinals. This intense format, saved for the second of back-to-back tournaments, guarantees excitement from the off. And means no room for error.

Leaders New Zealand will get an early test, as they face Thalia Costa’s Brazil in Pool A, while Australia versus Japan is set to be the winner-takes-all match in Pool B.

Pool C might just be the most tightly contested, with North American rivals USA and Canada jostling for that one qualifying spot alongside Great Britain. Could the USA repeat their Cape Town heroics – the last time a SVNS tournament was contested over two days – where they won silver?

France, Fiji and Ireland round things off in Pool D.  

5. Catch Levi if you can

Forgive us for mentioning Maddison Levi once more in our reasons to watch, but frankly it feels impossible to leave her out. Watching the 22-year-old in full flight is undoubtedly one of the great sporting experiences right now. And the great thing is, she is full flight most of the time.

The Australian scored 14 tries in Hong Kong, a feat that would seem even more remarkable were it not for the fact that she has been racking up such numbers all season. A total of 44 scores in just 20 matches is mind-blowing.

Now her nation’s leading sevens try scorer of all-time – having overtaken the brilliant Charlotte Caslick last weekend – Levi is set to go past 200 career touch downs in Singapore. Please, do not miss it.