- HSBC SVNS 2025 kicks off with thrilling day of world class rugby at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai
- SVNS Champions Australia and Olympic gold medallists New Zealand dominate women’s pools with perfect win records to reach quarter-finals
- SVNS league winners Argentina and previous double Olympic champions Fiji were the only unbeaten men’s teams on a thrilling first day of action
- Women’s quarter-finals: Great Britain v Japan, Australia v Canada, New Zealand v Ireland, USA v France
- Men’s quarter-finals: Great Britain v Spain, South Africa v New Zealand, Fiji v France, Argentina v Australia
- The quarter-finals get started at 09:20 local time (GMT+4) on Sunday, with the women’s and men’s finals at 19:35 and 20:11 respectively before Stormzy entertains the crowds
Following a historic, record breaking Olympics in Paris, rugby sevens returned with a bang as a new season of HSBC SVNS kicked off in style at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai.
There was scintillating, world class rugby sevens on the pitch and non-stop entertainment with mass participation sports and live music acts creating a vibrant festival atmosphere to match the heat of the desert.
Alongside some of the stars of the Olympic Games were many fresh faces as 91 debutant players were selected across the 12 men’s and 12 women’s squads.
Olympic Champions New Zealand and reigning HSBC SVNS Champions Australia were once again the outstanding teams in the women’s competition, both claiming a hat-trick of wins to top their pools and ease through to Sunday’s quarter-finals.
Australia are looking for a fifth successive tournament victory in Dubai but will face a tough test in the quarter-final against Olympic silver medallists Canada. New Zealand play Ireland while Olympic bronze medallists the USA take on France. Great Britain and Japan will get play under way at 09:20 local time (GMT+4) when they contest the first quarter-final following impressive performances on day one.
Ireland’s Aimee Leigh Murphy Crowe joined an elite club by scoring her 200th SVNS Series try while Australia’s own try machine Faith Nathan claimed her 100th try on day one in Dubai.
READ DAY ONE WOMEN’S REPORT >>
In the men’s competition previous double Olympic champions Fiji and SVNS 2024 League Winners Argentina were the pace setters, winning all three matches to top their pools and lay down a marker for the new season.
Fiji will face reigning Olympic and SVNS Champions France in the quarter-finals while Argentina’s reward is a quarter-final tie with Australia. Great Britain will take on an impressive Spain.
South Africa have won five consecutive Dubai titles and seven of the last eight tournaments here and they remain in with a chance of securing a sixth straight title after a thrilling golden-point victory over Olympic champions France in the last match of an epic first day. The Blitzboks will face old foes New Zealand to complete a mouth-watering quarter-finals line-up.
It was a positive day for Spanish rugby as both men’s and women’s teams made it to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2019. The women ended a 22 game losing streak against France while the men beat New Zealand for only the third time in Series history to reach the Dubai quarter-finals for the first time.
Day two begins at 09:20 on Sunday with the quarter-finals and culminates with the women’s gold medal final at 19:35, followed by the men’s final at 20:11 local time.
VIEW EMIRATES DUBAI 7S MATCH SCHEDULE >>
HSBC SVNS 2025 features seven events across seven months in seven iconic global destinations. Six regular season rounds will be played in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore to decide the HSBC SVNS League Winners, before the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles, which will see the top eight men’s and women’s teams compete at Dignity Health Sports Park which will host the LA 2028 Olympic rugby sevens.
VIEW HSBC SVNS 2025 CALENDAR >>
Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action wherever you are in the world, either via broadcast partners or on www.RugbyPassTV. All matches taking place on pitch two in Dubai are being live streamed on Rugby Pass TV.
