Vintage year for Australia and South Africa ends in style in Bordeaux

Australia claimed victory in Bordeaux to crown a vintage World Championship-winning year, as France's men's side claimed a home tournament crown and South Africa's Blitzboks lifted the overall title.

Australia celebrated not one but two titles at Stade Atlantique, as they added the Bordeaux HSBC SVNS World Championship series crown to their Valladolid title – and claimed the overall world title with a dominant victory over great rivals New Zealand in an all-action final.

Co-captain Isabella Nasser was full of praise for her teammates: “We definitely had our bumps, ups and downs throughout this tournament and to show up like that against a really quality side like New Zealand, I couldn’t be more proud of the girls,” she told Rugbypass moments after the final whistle had blown at the end of the showpiece match.

“We have an amazing squad at home and the squad here, and the depth of our programme is unbelievable – we saved the best to last in regards to our performance.

“To be able to perform when it really matters at crunch time in the World Championship is really important to us. [New Zealand are] a quality side, amazing talent in their team. For us to go that one bit more and to be able to put more tries on, to be able to show up is really important to us and I couldn’t be happier.”

Canada claimed third with a victory over USA, while Spain’s eighth-place finish was enough to see them promoted to next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series, at Great Britain’s expense.

The eight sides on the main tour next season will be: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, France, Fiji, Japan and Spain.

In the men’s competition France came back from the brink of relegation to HSBC SVNS 2 to claim the final title of the season in Bordeaux in emphatic fashion with a roof-raising 14-5 win over New Zealand in the showpiece match, while South Africa’s disappointment at finishing fourth was improved by lifting the overall world title at the end of an impressive campaign.

A pool phase defeat against the All Blacks Sevens on the opening day had left Les Bleus at risk of missing out on the main HSBC SVNS Series next season – but they recovered to launch a charge that ended with a large crowd at Stade Atlantique celebrating as their homegrown heroes raised the trophy at the end of an intense final.

France’s victorious captain Paulin Riva said afterwards: “This championship is very difficult with a lot of big teams like South Africa. [But] we want to be here and we would like to be present.

“Obviously I’m one of the older players (on the squad). We’re rebuilding the squad, we want to grow every year until the Olympic Games. I think this is the way – it’s been amazing.”

“We work hard every time, every tournament – and tonight it was an amazing game against a big New Zealand team.”

Spain slightly spoiled South Africa’s HSBC SVNS World Championship party by coming from behind to take the third-place play-off 40-14. But, after 37 wins and five tournament titles on the series, there’s no denying the Blitzboks are thoroughly deserving overall champions.

The drama in Bordeaux was not confined to the upper echelons, as USA’s remarkable run to fifth place was enough for them to deny Kenya and claim a spot on next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series, with Great Britain dropping from the main tour to HSBC SVNS 2.

The teams competing on the HSBC SVNS main stage next season will be: South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, France and Kenya.

The leading lights of international rugby sevens were honoured at the end of the thrilling finale to the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series in Bordeaux

New Zealand’s Jorja Miller has been named Women’s SVNS Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while South Africa’s Tristan Leyds has been honoured with the Men’s SVNS Player of the Year award.

Following breakthrough seasons, New Zealand’s Kele Lasaqa and France’s Anaick Konyi claimed the SVNS Rookie of the Year awards.

World Rugby Chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “Congratulations to all of our HSBC SVNS Awards winners and nominees. These awards recognise the outstanding players who have inspired fans around the world with their talent, dedication and performances throughout an exceptional year of rugby sevens.

“The HSBC SVNS 2026 season has once again showcased the speed, skill and excitement that make our sport so special, with memorable moments and outstanding achievements across every event.

“As we conclude another thrilling campaign in Bordeaux, it is fitting that we celebrate the individuals who have consistently set the standard on and off the field and made such a significant contribution to the success of the global series.”

Now two-time HSBC SVNS Women’s Player of the Year and third-time nominee, Miller has been in game-redefining form again, after rejoining New Zealand’s sevens set-up following a successful Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

The 22-year-old cracked the 100-try barrier in Vancouver, reached 50 for the season on day one in Bordeaux, and was a lynchpin in the Black Ferns Sevens’ unbroken run of HSBC SVNS Series titles, which started in Perth and ran unbroken until they lost in the semi-final at the weekend in Valladolid.

Miller said of the award: “(It’s) an absolute honour to be named that once but to get it for a second time, I’m stoked. But honestly, all the credit goes to the girls around me. And I know it sounds a cliche, but without these girls, I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be able to succeed on the world stage. So this is a team award and I’m just proud of the team.”

She added that there was no real secret sauce to her success. “Other than KFC, I'd say, I'm just really driven to be better, to be the best in the world. That motivates me every day. Being surrounded by people that want to be the best versions of themselves on and off the field drives that as well. I know I’m nowhere near where I want to be and there's so much more to go. So I’m excited for what that looks like.”

In claiming her second Player of the Year Award, Miller held off the deserving challenges of Australia’s Maddison Levi and USA’s Ariana Ramsey.

Playmaker and finisher Leyds has pulled strings, scored vital points and pried open defences all season, from Dubai to Bordeaux.

He has been arguably the most important figure in South Africa’s march to five titles across the HSBC SVNS Series this season so far, including four in a row between the Perth, in February, and their first-ever Hong Kong title, in the first round of the World Championship Series in April.

On receiving the award, Leyds wanted to recognise the team around him. “Credit to my squad for pushing me week in, week out in camps, even in off season and pre-season.

“When I first started out at the Sevens, I set a goal for me to be the best 10 in our system. It was quite tough to chase with the guys that started before me. But I managed to do that – and, the next season, coach Phillip (Snyman) came to me and said, just before the season started, ‘I hope that your goal for this season isn’t to be the best 10 in the system but to be the best 10 in the world’.

“In that moment when he was talking to me, I said, ‘Coach, it’s my second year – I don’t know if I can reach those heights’.

“Obviously the second year didn’t go the best. Now, I’m in my third year, receiving the Men’s Player of the Year award. The effort the team has put into me and the management, credit to them for creating this amazing player.”

Australia’s Henry Hutchison and Fiji’s Vuiviawa Naduvalo were also nominated for the prestigious award.

Women’s SVNS Rookie of the Year – Anaick Konyi

France have finished on the podium three times on the road to Bordeaux – in Cape Town, Perth and Hong Kong – and La Rochelle’s New Caledonian teenage flier Anaick Konyi has been a key figure in all of their success, after being called up to the national set-up in time for the HSBC SVNS Series tournament in Singapore. It took her no time to settle and find the tryline. By the end of the tournament in Valladolid, she had crossed no fewer than 18 times.

Men’s SVNS Rookie of the Year – Kele Lasaqa

Modestly, 19-year-old Kele Lasaqa recently told Rugbypass that he ‘just wanted to nail down his role’ in the New Zealand Sevens squad. This was after he had helped the All Blacks Sevens to the Dubai title, following a winless 2024/25 season; after he had scored the late try to beat Argentina in Singapore; after touching down to beat France in Perth. There are more experienced players in the New Zealand squad. But few could have had more impact.

Women’s SVNS Top Try Scorer in Partnership with Gilbert

Maddison Levi won the award after touching down 64 times during the HSBC SVNS Series.

Men’s SVSN Top Try Scorer in Partnership with Gilbert

Marcos Moneta, who broke the 200-try mark in international sevens in Bordeaux was named Top Try Scorer, with 47 touchdowns across the season.

Women’s SVNS Dream Team of the Year in Partnership with HSBC

Jorja Miller (NZL)

Risi Pouri-Lane (NZL)

Maddison Levi (AUS)

Isabella Nasser (AUS)

Ariana Ramsey (USA)

Alycia Christiaens (FRA)

Reapi Ulunisau (FIJ)

Men’s SVNS Dream Team of the Year in Partnership with HSBC

Tristan Leyds (RSA)

Shilton van Wyk (RSA)

Jeremy Trevithick (ESP)

Henry Hutchison (AUS)

Vuiviwa Naduvalo (FIJ)

Terio Veilawa (FIJ)

Luciano Gonzalez (ARG)

The awards bring down the curtain on another captivating season of HSBC SVNS rugby, which has seen some of the greatest athletes on the planet entertain and enthral fans across the world with their exploits on the pitch, and with their vibrant personalities engaging viewers off it.

2026 HSBC SVNS results

29-30 November: Dubai - NZL/NZL

6-7 December: Cape Town - SA/AUS

31 January-1 February: Singapore - FIJI/NZL

7-8 February: Perth - SA/NZL

7-8 March: Vancouver - SA/NZL

14-15 March: New York - SA/NZL

17-19 April: Hong Kong (World Championship Series, Round 1) - SA/NZL

29-31 May: Valladolid (World Championship Series, Round 2) - AUS/AUS

5-7 June: Bordeaux (World Championship Series, Round 3) - FRA/AUS