‘Feared and respected’: Australia captain’s vision before SVNS Series

One of the most decorated players in the HSBC SVNS competition, Australian men’s sevens captain Henry Hutchison is approaching his next two years in gold with an increased hunger, fresh off signing a new contract that will keep him in sevens until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The 29-year-old Hutchison is the most-capped men’s player in Australia Sevens history, with 68 events and over 350 games under his belt, and is set to take the field for the Kick On 7s event on Friday and the Sydney quadruple-header on Saturday against Fiji.

Speaking to the media following his re-signing, Hutchison is determined to make the next few years count – with Australia missing out on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing the bronze medal match 26-19 to South Africa.

It has led to the skipper having a hunger to show Australia can be one of the best sides on the circuit, with last year seeing glimpses of enormous potential in Dubai, Perth and Valladolid.

“I would probably have the most silver medals on the circuit, which is not a claim,” Hutchison wryly joked with reporters. “It’s a terrible stat to have.

“What I think has helped [last year] is the boys have had a taste of it [winning] now. There’s so many boys that have come through this program and haven’t had a taste of that winning feeling, and they’ve just grown a little bit in their belief, and been like… we can do that.

“There’s a purpose behind the boys. They do their job well. I want people to view the sevens program as that, and that’s a big driver for me.

“The journey’s important. I think changing the way that we’re viewed, how we’re respected on the circuit is important to me. I want the team to walk around those in the dining hall and be feared and respected and wanted to be avoided.

“[We want other teams thinking], they don’t want to play Australia. I’d be lying to say that that’s always been the case for us, but I do feel like we’re changing that narrative.

“Gold in LA is huge, and that’s the goal, but that’s a lot of work, and a lot has to be done before then. Along the way, we need to be respected, and that comes from being physical, and from performing consistently as a group.”

It’s been a busy offseason for the Australian, playing in both India’s Rugby Premier League and the Ultimate Sevens in Europe before joining up with the squad for their preseason fixtures.

The chance to get outside of the SVNS bubble and play with his opponents in new settings proved incredibly valuable for Hutchison, opening his eyes on how to approach the Australian program now he’s back on home soil.

“It’s going to be the way of the future for sevens,” Hutchison said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how it plays out in the Olympic qualifier years, but I think, from a macro point, these rebel leagues are going to start really supplementing the World Series, which is great.

“It offers a whole new challenge, a whole new different perspective. Playing with other players and other coaches, you learn so much. But if I’m being honest, and I say this humbly, I did leave the Ultimate Sevens tournament thinking that we [Australia] should be performing better.

“We have a strong squad, we have some really good players, and I think some of the Aussie boys came back going, you know what, we’re at the right place to start performing more consistently.”

The Australian Sevens program is set for a busy preseason, the men kicking off with matches against Fiji this weekend, blooding new players in the form of Sydney University speedster Dane Mitchell and Tylan Berryman, as well as returning stars like Tokyo Olympian Josh Coward.

Alongside Hutchison, the Australians will also welcome back the likes of Harry Wilson, Ben Dalton and Jayden Blake, adding significant pressure on incumbent stars to perform through new up-and-coming talent.

The side will then head to New Zealand to play the All Blacks Sevens and Samoa as part of their preseason preparations, which Hutchison believes will put them in good stead to hit the ground running in a critical 2026-27 SVNS Series – with the top four at the end earning Olympic qualification.

“Bringing those [new] boys in adds an element of a bit of insecurity,” Hutchison explained. “You know, you’re fighting for your spots.

“I’ve definitely noticed the level of where we’re beginning now compared to other seasons is much higher. Folks like Harry Wilson, Ben Dalton, Jayden Blake, they’re getting two, three seasons under their belt now and it doesn’t feel like we’re starting again.

“We’ve got a really good platform that we can launch from this preseason.

“To be successful, you need to be realistic about where you are… We know we’re not the best team in the world, but we know we’re close, and we know we have the capabilities to be the best team in the world.

“Last year we talked about performing consistently, and the potential of winning tournaments.

“Over the years, we’ve had a talented squad, but maybe we’ve been beaten up around the collision.

“We’ve really tried to change that narrative, change that reputation on the circuit. We’re a bigger team now, and we enjoy that physical confrontation, and we’re now starting to see that as a potential edge for our team.

“Playing teams like Fiji and New Zealand and Samoa, they’re the marker. They’re the physical teams on the circuit. It’s good for us to just learn to stay tough and learn to be gritty.”