Olympic Stars And Fresh Faces Ready To Kick-Off HSBC SVNS In Dubai
Following the sensational, record-breaking Olympic Games competitions, the wait is over for rugby sevens fans as HSBC SVNS 2025 kicks off with the Emirates Dubai 7s on 30 November – 1 December.
With interest and excitement in rugby sevens on a high following the Olympics, the many millions of fans who watched the Games can expect to see Olympic medallists on show in Dubai alongside new faces looking to make their mark at the first round of a highly anticipated new HSBC SVNS campaign.
Men’s Olympic champions France will be looking to retain their SVNS Champions crown after they defeated SVNS league winners Argentina to claim the inaugural men’s title in 2024. Meanwhile Olympic bronze medallists South Africa are looking to continue their incredible form in Dubai which has seen them win five consecutive titles and seven of the last eight tournaments.
New Zealand’s women won their second successive Olympic title in Paris and will be aiming to reclaim the SVNS Champions title they lost to Australia in 2024. They will have to break Australia’s dominance in Dubai, which has seen them win the last four women’s titles atThe Sevens Stadium.
The Emirates Dubai 7s features the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams in the world competing over two action-packed days as the 24 captain’s gathered by Old Dubai Creek on Wednesday whereold rivalries were reignited and new friendships forged.
The event has featured on the global rugby sevens calendar since its inception in 1999, and includesan all-star music and entertainment line-up alongside mass participation sports activities to complement the world class rugby sevens played out in an electric festival atmosphere.
The HSBC SVNS action kicks off at 09:00 local time (GMT+4) on Saturday with pool matches as reigning women’s Olympic champions New Zealand take on Brazil on Pitch 2, while silver medallists Canada open their campaign against Japan on Pitch 1 to get the action started.
Day two begins at 09:20 on Sunday with the quarter-finals and culminates withthe women’s gold medal final at 19:35, followed by the men’s final at 20:11 local time.
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The women’s pools see New Zealand face Canada in a repeat of the 2024 Olympic final, alongside Brazil and Japan in pool C. Olympic bronze medallists the USA are in pool B with France, Great Britain and Spain. SVNS Champions Australia will take on Ireland, Fiji and newcomers China in pool A.
Kenya face a tough assignment on their reintroduction to the top level of international rugby sevens as they face Olympic champions France, serial Dubai winners South Africa and Australia in men’s pool A.
Argentina were the most consistently outstanding performers on the men’s circuit last year and they are drawn with Ireland, Great Britain and Uruguay in pool B. Current Olympic silver medallists Fiji will be sure to thrill the crowd with encounters against New Zealand, the USA and Spain in pool C.
The competition format replicates the Olympic model and sees the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams qualify for the quarter-finals from where it is knock-out rugby.
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Following a successful inaugural year for World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens, HSBC SVNS 2025 will feature seven events across seven months in seven iconic global destinations.
Six regular season events will be played in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore to decide the HSBC SVNS League Winners, before theHSBC SVNS World Championship at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Olympic Games rugby sevens competitions.
The top eight placed teams based on cumulative series points after six events in Singapore will compete in the ‘winner takes all’ World Championship, where the women’s and men’s SVNSChampions will be crowned.
Los Angeles will also play host to the high stakes promotion and relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger, in a battle to securetheir places in the next HSBC SVNS.
The SVNS competition model means fans can expect maximum excitement, entertainment and nail-biting jeopardy on the pitch. While HSBC SVNS events will continue to deliver entertainment, music, culture and cuisine alongside the world’s best men’s and women’s athletes set against the spectacular backdrops of some of the most stunning locations around the globe.
In a huge year for women’s rugby, World Rugby’s commitment to grow the women’s game is unwavering and all HSBC SVNS events willsee men’s and women’s teams receiving equal participation fees and sharing the platform equally on the biggest stages around the world.For the first time in history, there is an all-female panel of match officials for the women’s SVNS 2025.
Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcaster partners or www.RugbyPassTV.Following the blockbuster Olympic sevens competitions, an impressive roster ofbroadcast partners will bringthe SVNS to a huge potential global audience. All matches taking place on pitch two in Dubai will be live streamed on Rugby Pass TV.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Following aground-breaking Olympic Games which captivated a huge new global audience, we can’t wait for HSBC SVNS 2025 to start and for these incredible athletes to showcase their awesome skills at seven iconic destinations around the world.
“Dubai has been a mainstay on the global rugby sevens circuit since 1999 and will no doubt provide the perfect lift-off for what promises to be an exciting campaign with seasoned Olympians inspiring audiences around the globe and new stars hoping to make their mark.”
New Zealand women’s captain Sarah Hirini said: “We’re really excited to get going. Coming off a pretty successful Olympic campaign and getting back in to it with a new bunch of girls and some debutants it’s been a really cool last couple of months build up.
“Looking around there are a lot of new faces as we’re starting a new cycle and that’s really exciting. We play Canada in our last pool match which is a repeat of the Olympic gold medal match so that will be hugely exciting. I love playing in Dubai, it’s one of my favourite tournaments I’ve ever played in, it’s what sevens is all about, everyone having a good time and always pulls in a big crowd so it’s nice to be back here.”
South Africa men’s captain Impi Visser said: “Dubai feels like a second home for us, with many South African fans here. Maybe it’s the excitement of a new season starting but we always seem to jump the gun and be fast starters in Dubai. Hopefully we can do that again this weekend and continue it throughout the season. We want to build consistency and it starts this weekend in Dubai for us.
“We had a nice little break after the Olympics,a chance to celebrate the medal, but then we got back into a tough pre-season and I think our fitness level is good. We’re excited to get going, it’s always a really great atmosphere in Dubai with everyone dressed up. We have a very tough pool so we’re going to have to get stuck in and just give it everything in every game.”
Australia women’s captain Isabella Nasser said: “We’re looking forward to getting back out there and we always love playing here in Dubai in the heat. We have lots of new faces on the team and we are really looking forward to the debutants showing the world what they can do. We’re really looking forward to showing everyone what we’ve been working on.
“I feel really honoured to take on the captaincy role this year and I’m excited for the season. Obviously Charlotte (Caslick) is such an important part of the team, she’s a legend of the game with so many incredible achievements so I’m really looking forward to having her in the team and teaching me her way.”
Kenya men’s captain George Ooro said: “It is so nice to be back, it is a very good feeling to be back at the Dubai 7s. We have prepared well and we are ready for our pool opponents. We have really wished for all these moments. Our fans have always been behind us, even when we were in the Challenger Series and now we’re back in the SVNS. The fans give us that extra energy and motivation to play for them and for those who are back home watching.”
