Hong Kong celebrates 50 years of sevens magic with high-stakes HSBC SVNS World Championship opener

Half a century since the tournament's inception in 1976, Hong Kong remains the heartbeat of international sevens rugby. This year's edition marks not only a golden anniversary but the start of a three-tournament World Championship race that will crown the sport's ultimate champions in 2026.

The historic tournament has transitioned from its original home at Hong Kong Stadium to the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Stadium, ushering in a new chapter for sevens in Hong Kong while honouring the legendary atmosphere that has made the South Stand famous worldwide.

New Zealand Women and South Africa Men arrive as the newly crowned HSBC SVNS Series winners following their triumphs in New York and will be looking to carry that momentum into the World Championship.

Fresh from SVNS 2 action in Sao Paulo, Germany, Kenya, Uruguay and USA join the eight men's core Series teams, while Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Spain bolster the women's competition. With the World Championship continuing in Valladolid before culminating in Bordeaux, every point matters as 24 teams battle for the ultimate prize.

Six additional teams will also compete in the Melrose Claymores, adding further depth to a stacked weekend of rugby.

All 24 of the series team captains and the six Melrose Claymores captains marked the tournament’s special milestone at the Kai Tak Stadium for a special event ahead of the weekends action. Argentina’s captain, Santiago Alvarez commented at the launch: “It’s very exciting to be here again for the 50th Anniversary. There’s a lot of history in the previous stadium and now here in the new one which is incredible.

“Last year we had an incredible tournament and won it here. It was our first tournament here. We like playing here and are looking forward to the weekend and we’ll try to do our best.

Risi Pouri-Lane also added: “There’s something special about being in Hong Kong, obviously knowing the history behind such an iconic tournament. It’s been awesome to come back to the stadium, get a feel for it again and we’re really excited for our girls that haven’t played here before to experience how electric and how alive the stadium gets to when it comes to game day.

“Its going to be a huge weekend with our first championship round and 50 years of Hong Kong sevens. I’m really looking forward to it!”

Fans can expect world-class entertainment throughout the weekend, with PRIMROSE kicking off the celebrations on Friday, the Vengaboys bringing 90s nostalgia to the main stage on Saturday and Hindley Street Country Club closing proceedings with a massive singalong ahead of Sunday's finals.

Blitzbok pool schedule (all matches live on SuperSport, SA times)

Friday

5.16am v Uruguay

8.49am v Spain

Saturday

6.13am v Argentina

Springbok Sevens squad for Hong Kong

#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 62 tournaments, 270 points (54 tries)

#3 Impi Visser (captain) – 50 tournaments, 240 points (48 tries)

#4 Zain Davids – 57 tournaments, 255 points (51 tries)

#7 Ronald Brown – 24 tournaments, 491 points (51 tries, 118 conversions)

#8 Selvyn Davids – 46 tournaments, 766 points (102 tries, 128 conversions, 1 penalty)

#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi – 64 tournaments, 800 points (160 tries)

#12 Shilton van Wyk – 32 tournaments, 355 points (71 tries)

#14 Quewin Nortje – 12 tournaments, 160 points (32 tries)

#15 Donavan Don – 14 tournaments, 113 points (21 tries, 4 conversions)

#16 Sebastiaan Jobb – 8 tournaments, 70 points (14 tries)

#19 David Brits – 15 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

#24 Tristan Leyds – 17 tournaments, 193 points (25 tries, 34 conversions)

#31 Jayden Nell – 1 tournament, 0 points

Springbok Women's Sevens pool schedule (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport)

Friday

6.25am v Australia

9.12am v Canada

Saturday

5.04am v Great Britain

Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for Hong Kong (with HSBC SVNS records)

#2 Asisipho Plaatjies – 4 tournaments, 0 points

#4 Zintle Mpupha – 12 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

#7 Maria Tshiremba – 6 tournaments, 50 points (10 tries)

#10 Byrhandré Dolf – 3 tournaments, 0 points

#16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht - 8 tournaments, 0 points

#19 Shanidiné Bezuidenhout – uncapped

#20 Catha Jacobs – 1 tournament, 0 points

#21 Jané Mulder – uncapped

#22 Owami Mohuli – uncapped

#23 Ayanda Malinga – 8 tournaments, 70 points (14 tries)

#26 Lerato Makua – 1 tournament, 0 points

#27 Maceala Samboya – uncapped

#30 Eloise Webb – 9 tournaments, 7 points (1 try, 1 conversion)