HSBC SVNS: Women's top two dominate in Singapore but men's event throws up shocks

As the adrenaline subsides, trophies are treasured and tired bodies begin to recover from the exertions of the Singapore HSBC SVNS, we are left with the memories of another exciting weekend of sevens rugby.

On day one, New Zealand's women and Argentina's men clinched the League Winners titles. They have been the most consistent performers in their respective competitions and the points they were guaranteed after Saturday's action meant they could not be overtaken at the top of their tables.

In the women's competition, New Zealand and Australia came head to head in four of the six finals from the opening event in Dubai to the drama at Singapore's National Stadium. They won two of those finals apiece, and the Black Ferns Sevens also won in two of the other stops, against USA in Cape Town and Fiji in Vancouver.

To have reached every final is a testament to New Zealand's strengths - their attack weapons in the form of the sport's all-time top try scorer Michaela Brake, ably assisted by players such as HSBC Player of the Final Risi Pouri-Lane, Stacey Waaka and Kelsey Teneti; their organisation under the guidance of captain Sarah Hirini; and their magnificent team spirit.

In Singapore, Australia's Maddison Levi continued to break new ground. She became the fastest player to reach 200 tries, doing so in 26 tournaments, and in the final defeat by New Zealand she scored her 51st try of the season.

Yet for all those mind-boggling stats, it is one individual piece of skill that many spectators will be rolling over in their minds this week. Teneti looked certain to score for New Zealand; Levi thought differently. In one remarkable motion, the pink-booted wonder tackled Teneti, ripped the ball from her grasp, rolled over, got back to her feet and was off and running. It merits several replays on Rugby Pass to appreciate the range of skills required to have pulled that off. 

France, with three third-placed finishes and two in fourth, can beat any team on their day and will be all the stronger when their young squad gains more experience - after all, Hawa Tounkara, Lili Dezou and Lea Trollier are all only 20, Cleo Hagel just 21.

Brazil, China, Ireland and Spain, finishing 9th to 12th, will enter the playoffs at Los Angeles' Dignity Health Sports Park on 3 and 4 May against the top teams from the Challenger Series to determine who will play in the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Series.

In Singapore, China lost their 5th-place playoff to Japan, but that season's-best finish will give them belief they can stay in the top tier.

Brazil will need to pick themselves up after finishing bottom at the weekend. They looked weary at the end of the tournament and lacked the verve they showed in finishing fifth in Vancouver. They will look to their speedsters Thalia Costa and Yasmim Soares to turn games in their favour, and a rest should benefit that duo before the showdown in California.

The men's competition was more open than the women's across the six stops of the series, with seven different teams variously finishing in the top three.

Argentina were deserving League Winners, with three tournament titles and two third-place finishes. They ended up eight points ahead of Singapore champions Fiji and 16 clear of Spain in third.

One of the big stories of the weekend was Kenya reaching the final despite having been in the bottom three in all but one of the five previous rounds. They finished in ninth spot overall and so will join Uruguay, Ireland and USA in the playoffs. We can be sure they will give it everything in LA to make sure they do not drop down to the Challenger Series after only one season back in the top tier.

If they can keep thrilling Patrick Odongo Okong'o fit, they have powerful players in George Ooro and Kevin Wekesa to see them through the nervy matches that are coming their way.

Juan Gonzalez shone for Uruguay at the National Stadium. He scored a peach in the 5th-place semi-final against Ireland where he caught the ball straight from kick-off and weaved his way through to the try-line with barely 20 seconds on the clock. He again scored in the first minute on his way to a hat-trick in his team's 5th-place playoff defeat by Great Britain.

It seems inconceivable a player of Gonzalez's quality may not be playing top-level competition next season, but that shows the standard of competition in the HSBC SVNS.

For all that we have marvelled at Los Pumas so regularly bringing their best to these tournaments, nothing could better highlight the unpredictable nature of sevens rugby than the plight of France and Australia in Singapore. Packed with talent, and second and third respectively in Hong Kong the previous weekend, the teams met in a semi-final on Sunday...a 9th-place semi-final.

As the saying goes, one moment you're a peacock, the next a feather duster. Sevens rugby is an unforgiving sport.