The pools for the HSBC SVNS 2024 Championship have been announced as excitement builds for the winner-takes-all tournaments at the Grand Finals in Madrid.
Argentina and New Zealand celebrated becoming men’s and women’s League Winners in Singapore last weekend, but there is no guarantee they will be victorious again when the action heads to Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano between 31 May – 02 June.
That is because the overall HSBC SVNS 2024 Championship crowns will be awarded to the teams that finish on top of the men’s and women’s podiums next month.
It means all 16 qualified teams will travel to the Spanish capital with a shot at the title.
Can anyone stop New Zealand?
The Black Ferns Sevens are the form team on the circuit having won four successive tournaments to pip Australia to the women’s League Winners title and Cory Sweeney’s side will be hopeful they can make it five in a row in Madrid.
New Zealand will take on USA, Canada and Great Britain – who secured the eighth and final spot in the women’s tournament in Singapore – in Pool A.
The Black Ferns Sevens beat both Canada and Great Britain en route to the HSBC SVNS Singapore title, and they have not lost to USA since October 2019.
North American rivals USA and Canada, meanwhile, have met six times this season with the teams enjoying three wins apiece.
Pool B of the women’s tournament pits regular season runners-up Australia against France, Fiji and Ireland.
Australia beat France in the Singapore Cup semi-finals last weekend, while Les Bleues Sevens – who finished the regular season third – won the bronze final against Fijiana.
France have never won a title on the series, something that Ireland managed in Perth at the end of January.
Ireland beat Fiji and Australia on their way to gold in Western Australia and a repeat in Madrid could provide the springboard to a stunning end to their season.
All Blacks Sevens, team to beat?
Argentina’s prize for winning the men’s League Winners title is top seeding and a place in Pool A alongside Australia, France and Great Britain.
Los Pumas Sevens came off second best against Australia in Singapore, losing their pool-stage encounter 26-19 but still topped their pool and will hope to do so again in Madrid.
Santiago Gómez Cora’s side have not reached the Cup semi-finals of a series tournament since winning in Vancouver, however, with France – who won the Los Angeles title – and Great Britain each doing so twice in that time.
Pool B pits two of the in-form teams against each other as New Zealand – winners of the past two tournaments – take on Ireland, who have finished in the top three in each of the last three and missed out on the League Winners title by only two points.
The All Blacks Sevens held off Ireland to win the Singapore final last weekend, and the Irish will get an early shot at revenge, and only a second win against New Zealand, when they meet in Madrid.
Fiji, who by their own high standards have had a disappointing season so far, and South Africa, who have not been able to replicate their winning start in Dubai, complete the pool.
Fight for survival
Following the conclusion of the regular season we now also know the identity of half of the men’s and women’s teams who will compete in the HSBC SVNS 2025 Play-off tournament in Madrid.
USA, Spain, Samoa and Canada finished in the bottom four of the men’s standings, while Japan, Brazil, South Africa and Spain did so in the women’s.
North American rivals USA and Canada are guaranteed to line up in Pool A of the men’s play-off tournament, while Spain and Samoa will compete in Pool B.
In the women’s tournament, Japan and Spain will line up in Pool A with Brazil and South Africa in Pool B.
The four men’s and four women’s teams that will complete those pool line-ups will be confirmed following the third and final round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 between 18-19 May.
The women’s tournament will be played in Krakow, Poland, while the men’s Sevens Challenger will conclude in Munich, Germany.
