HSBC SVNS World Championship 2025 semi-finals decided in LA

The battle to become HSBC SVNS 2025 champions began in exciting fashion on day one of the World Championship in Los Angeles, while a large and vocal crowd at the venue for the Olympic Games LA28 rugby sevens competition also cheered the high stakes HSBC SVNS Play-off matches.

The HSBC SVNS World Championship features the eight top ranked men’s and women’s teams from HSBC SVNS 2025 competing in two pools of four teams each.

At the end of a thrilling first day of sevens action at Dignity Health Sports Park there were four teams left in the fight to take the titles as the semi-finals were decided.

Women’s Olympic champions New Zealand were in unstoppable form with a hat-trick of victories over Canada, Great Britain and Japan to seal top spot in pool A.

Olympic silver medallists Canada join the Black Ferns Sevens in the semi-finals where they will face reigning SVNS champions Australia who finished day one with a perfect win record after dispatching France, Fiji and the USA to lead pool B.

The hosts and Olympic bronze medallists recovered to beat Fiji and France and claim their place in the semi-finals where they will face New Zealand.

The Springbok Women's Sevens team had an up and down start in their first two pool games, beating Ireland by 12-7 before going down to China 26-12 in their second game.

The South Africans started slowly against Ireland, but soon warmed to the challenge. A silly error in their red zone handed the Irish an easy converted try to make it 7-0 barely a minute into the Pool B fixture.

Credit to the South Africans though, who stayed calm and started to dominate their opponents with pressing defence and good game management and it was no surprise when Ayanda Malinga raced 80m to score soon after.

The centre found an outside gap following a good scrum by her teammates and ran in to score under the sticks a minute before the break. Nadine Roos converted to level scores at half-time.

It was Roos who scored the next - and decisive try - for South Africa. Eleven minutes into the match and with both sides looking for the knock-out punch, a brilliant turn-over and pass from Zintle Mpupha gave Roos some real estate to cover and she raced away for a five pointer 80m downfield.

Credit to Ireland, who kept on attacking but they could not any gaps in the South African defence, who held out for the perfect start.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out quite the same against China, who were out of the blocks in no time and scored three converted first-half tries to take a commanding 21-0 lead into the break after a sluggish start by the South Africans and despite a much improved second half, they could not overhaul their Asian opponents, who secured a semi-final spot on day two.

China had all the play in the first half of the match, with South Africa guilty of missed tackles, poor handling and average game management. The injury to team captain Mathrin Simmers, who was ruled out due to an HIA in the Ireland match, was telling as the Bok Women struggled to get into the match and their apathy in the first half proved critical.

The second half was much better, with speed on attack and more precise play with ball in hand, helped by the injection of Alicia Willemse into the game, handing them two tries, by Rights Mkhari and Leigh Fortuin, with the second five-pointer closing the gap to 21-12 with just over a minute to play. China responded well though and raced away for the final points of the match from the restart.

The Bok Women are still in the running for the semi-finals courtesy of their earlier victory over Ireland, and a win over Argentina on Sunday evening at 7pm (SA time) will see them book a spot in the top four.

Scores

South Africa 12 (7) Ireland 7 (7)

South Africa - Tries: Ayanda Malinga, Nadine Roos. Conversion: Roos.

Ireland - Try: Kathy Baker. Conversion: Kate Farrell McCabe.

South Africa 12 (0) China 26 (21)

South Africa - Tries: Rights Mkhari, Leigh Fortuin. Conversion: Nadine Roos.

China - Tries: Chen Can, Wang Wanyu (2), Dou Xinrong. Conversions: Chen Keyi (3).

It was tight at the top of men’s pool B as Spain, New Zealand and Australia tied on seven points each and it was Australia who narrowly missed out on the semi-finals due to an inferior points difference.

South Africa overcame Argentina 29-21 in the last match of the day to secure top spot in pool A as both teams reached the semi-finals.

Spain will face Argentina while New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens will take on South Africa in what promise to be hotly contested semi-finals.

The Springbok Sevens team qualified for the playoffs of the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles with victories over France, Great Britain and Argentina in their pool and will face New Zealand in the semi-finals on Sunday.

South Africa won 19-10 against France, edged out the British team 12-7 and scored five tries against Argentina in a 29-21 victory on the first day of action at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles.

Against Argentina, Ronald Brown struck first for a 7-0 scoreline but two quick tries by the Pumas pushed them into the lead. Ryan Oosthuizen scored to level matters at the break, with Ricardo Duarttee converting both tries.

Three unanswered tries by the Blitzboks gave them an impressive 29-14 lead before a late try by Argentina saved them some blushes. The South Americans will face Spain in the other semi-final.

After an impressive performance against France, South Africa were on the money again against Great Britain, with two tries within the first five minutes putting them into the fast lane towards victory.

First, Brown kicked ahead in the opening minute of play, regathered and scored for a 7-0 lead before Shilton van Wyk chased down his own kick as well to score his 50th HSBC SVNS try.

Leading 12-0, the Blitzboks were in cruise control, but then stepped off the gas, allowing their opponents to claw their way back into the match. Freddie Roddick scored on the buzzer for a converted try, giving the UK side something of a sniff in the second half.

The second half remained scoreless, but went from one side to the other as both sides had their moments, but could not convert. Some good scrambling defence by the Blitzboks proved vital as they held out their opponents to secure their second win of the day.

In the first match, the French started very well and pressured the Blitzboks into mistakes, which led to two unanswered tries - by Varian Pasquet and Simon Désert - to give them a 10-point lead.

The Blitzboks knuckled down and showed great character to fight back after going down 10-0 late in the first half. Selvyn Davids' late try before the break, from a great grubber into space, meant the teams swapped sides with France leading by 10-7.

The second half belonged to the Blitzboks, who held onto possession much better as they worked to find space, with Shilton van Wyk and Zain Davids adding their names to the score sheet.

Van Wyk circled the French defence on the right wing before Zain Davids ran the perfect angle onto a short pass into space by Ricardo Duarttee to give the Blitzboks a nine-point lead. France lost a player to the sin bin and the game finished as the South Africans showed some real grit on defence to deny their opponents a losing bonus-point.

The Blitzboks' semi-final against New Zealand is at 10.46pm (SA time) on Sunday evening, shortly after Spain and Argentina face off at 10.24pm for a place in the final.

Scores

South Africa 19 (7) France 10 (10)

SA - Tries: Selwyn Davids, Shilton van Wyk, Zain Davids. Conversions: Ronald Brown, Ricardo Duarttee.

France - Tries: Varian Pasquet, Simon Désert.

South Africa 12 (12), Great Britain 7 (7)

SA - Tries: Ronald Brown, Shilton van Wyk. Conversion: Brown.

GB - Try: Freddie Roddick. Conversion: Matt Davidson.

South Africa 29 (14), Argentina 21 (14)

SA - Tries: Ronald Brown, Ryan Oosthuizen, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk, Selvyn Davids. Conversions; Ricardo Duarttee (2).

Arg - Tries: Matteo Graziano, German Schulz, Santino Zangara. Conversions: Santiago Vera Feld (3).

New Zealand women and Argentina men are aiming to back-up the HSBC SVNS 2025 League Winners titles they claimed in Singapore at the sixth and final regular season round in April.

Alongside the World Championship, the SVNS Play-off competition involves the teams ranked ninth to 12th in HSBC SVNS 2025 together with the top four ranked teams from the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger.

Four successful teams will qualify from the Play-off competition to HSBC SVNS division two in 2026. The pool winners secure their SVNS division two status automatically and China women and Uruguay men achieved this feat on day one in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile the teams who finish second and third in their pools will face a winner-takes all Play-off final match on Sunday for a place in SVNS division two, while the bottom placed teams in the pools miss out.

The USA’s Lucas Lacamp was the top men’s try scorer on day one with four tries, helping the hosts to a pair of wins over Portugal and Samoa. If the USA overcome Kenya – recent finalists in Singapore - in their last pool match on Sunday they will secure their spot in SVNS division two.

In women’s pool A there will be a straight shoot-out between Brazil and Spain for a place in SVNS division two as both countries claimed a pair of victories over Colombia and Kenya on day one.

The unsuccessful Play-off teams will begin the 2026 season in their respective regional competitions from which they have the opportunity to qualify for a standalone SVNS division three event where they can reach SVNS division two by finishing in the top two.

Following an action-packed season, the superstars of sevens will be celebrated as the HSBC SVNS Awards 2025 take place with Rookie, Top Try Scorer and Player of the Year among the categories set to be presented at the final showdown in Los Angeles on Sunday.