Fewer vowels but more fun? The first HSBC SVNS reaches a conclusion in Madrid
A FTER EIGHT legs across seven months, France’s men and Australia’s women were crowned the inaugural HSBC SVNS series champions in Madrid, writes Joe Robinson.
Rugby’s short format has undergone a facelift this season in a bid to attract new, younger audiences that World Rugby keep describing as “leisurehungry”. This included live music, new stops in Perth and Madrid, a combined men’s and women’s competition across all legs, a slightly complicated tournament format with ‘winner takes all’ grand final, and a promotion/ relegation play-off with the Tier Two Challenger Series.
The grand final saw Antoine Dupont inspire France to a 19-5 victory against series frontrunners Argentina in a tense affair that saw Rodrigo Isgró, the current Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, shown a late red card for a tip tackle. The win catapults Les Bleus into a home Olympic Games full of confidence, not least thanks to the presence of the 15s star.
“We think Antoine Dupont is the best player in the world and when he is on the pitch we have a lot of confidence.” said France captain Paulin Riva.
Australia created history in the women’s competition as they thwarted France in a convincing 26-7 win to lift the trophy. Series top try-scorer Maddison Levi bagged a hat-trick in the final – taking her series tally to a record-breaking 65 tries – and was pivotal in the semi-final victory against New Zealand. “We’re finally getting some pay for our hard work, which is good,” Levi said
