Fiji-Blitzboks sprint headlines big talking points ahead of SVNS New York

One round of HSBC SVNS 1 remains, as both the men’s and women’s sides converge on Sports Illustrated Stadium in New York, marking the Big Apple’s first time hosting the Sevens.

The event looms as part of a huge couple of weeks for sevens action in the Americas, with the second round of SVNS 2 also taking place in Montevideo next weekend.

RugbyPass examines the big talking points ahead of a critical weekend in the 2025-26 series, as the final pieces fall into place for the three-leg Championship finals.

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Big Apple ready to welcome SVNS to town

After six years in Los Angeles, the USA Sevens has found a new home, with New York set to become the first city on the eastern seaboard to welcome the HSBC SVNS World Series to town.

The USA Sevens has been one of the most attended legs on the circuit, with Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego all previously having hosted the event.

This weekend, Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey will host the event, the home of Major League Soccer side the New York Red Bulls, and National Women’s Soccer League side Gotham FC.

Despite the historic occasion with the sevens, the venue has a longer history in the fifteen-player format of the game, hosting Churchill Cup matches, multiple USA international fixtures, Premiership Rugby matches and the 2022 Major League Rugby final.

Fiji, Blitzboks Men sprinting to the finish line

A stunning collapse by New Zealand in Vancouver has turned the men’s competition into a two-way race, opening up a 16-point gap between Fiji, South Africa and the rest of the chasing pack.

So tight is the competition between the two sides at the top that a +2 point differential is the only thing that separates them.

The Blitzboks have roared back into contention over the last two events, winning legs in Cape Town, Perth and Vancouver to carry all the momentum into this weekend.

However, they will be up against the only team this year that has managed to finish in pole position across every leg of the competition.

Fiji may have only claimed gold once in Singapore, but a silver in Perth and bronze in Dubai, Cape Town and Vancouver means they will likely be in the mix come finals.

New Zealand Women in prime position

Four of the five events won this season. A six-point lead over Australia. A dominant points differential. Defending champions New Zealand will arrive in New York with all the momentum on their side, and will be heavy favourites to win their fourth straight event.

With a 22-point gap opened up between Australia and third-placed United States, the top two sides in the women’s competition will stay at the top regardless of the results this weekend, though who finishes in first is still up for debate.

Australia will welcome back Teagan Levi, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea and Kaitlin Shave into the mix, but will have a lot of work to do to break New Zealand’s current streak of wins.

Given how the season has played out, it would be hard not to predict that the two rivals will once again face off in the final, with momentum going into the Championship series on the line.

The chasing pack

Even with the battle at the top of the ladder all but locked in, there is plenty to play for the remainder of the chasing pack in both competitions.

A higher finish means a more favourable draw come next month in Hong Kong, and in the men’s competition, New Zealand’s seventh-place finish in Vancouver has thrown the battle for third place wide open.

Australia and France now sit within striking distance of the Kiwis, with the Aussies only two points behind their Trans-Tasman rivals after their fourth-place finish in Vancouver.

France had disappointing results in Perth and Vancouver, but with the side’s ability to stand up when it counts, they certainly have it in them to mount a last-minute charge.

The women’s battle for third sees a three-way contest between the USA, France and Canada, although the latter will need a second-placed finish or higher and rely on the USA and France to drop some matches to achieve third place.

The USA should have the home crowd behind them, and if Vancouver served as a perfect overture, expect plenty of fireworks between the Eagles and the French if they meet for the third-place playoff!

Championship calculations

With SVNS 2 underway in Montevideo next weekend, not only do the contenders have to battle it out at the top of the SVNS 1 ladder, but the bottom of the ladder also has to see who is joining them next month.

Germany, the USA and Kenya impressed in the first leg of SVNS 2 in Nairobi last month, delivering evenly-matched, high-octane clashes that will ask plenty of questions of Argentina, Spain and Great Britain, with the latter being particularly off the pace this season.

This also extends to the women’s competition, with Great Britain finishing last in every tournament. They will have to contend with a rapidly rising Argentina and South Africa in the women’s SVNS 2 competition.

Following next weekend’s action, the key fixtures for the Championship’s first leg will emerge, with every match set to hold significance when the two competitions come together to face off next month in Hong Kong China.