Spain SVNS star Jeremy Trevithick sheds light on breakthrough season
Spain’s Men’s Sevens team has set the rugby world abuzz with their extraordinary performances in the opening legs of the HSBC SVNS Series, making history at the Dubai 7s and Cape Town 7s.
At the heart of this success is 22-year-old Jeremy Trevithick, a rising star who has proven himself on the global stage. From his roots at Marbella Rugby Club to facing the toughest sides in world rugby, Trevithick shares his journey, Spain’s growth, and the team’s ambitions heading into the Perth 7s.
From Marbella to the World Stage
Trevithick’s rugby story began at the age of 8, playing for Marbella Rugby Club.
“At the age of 18, I moved to Valladolid to play my senior year with Club de Rugby El Salvador. After that, I moved to France.
“I played with the French rugby club CA Brive’s U23 setup, a club now competing in the Top 14.
“I was in contact with the previous Spain 7s coach, and after training a few times with the team I finally made the decision that I wanted to join the 7s squad for the 2023/24 season.
“Playing in the World Sevens Series was always a dream.”
The Pull of Sevens Rugby
There’s no doubt that Trevithick’s passion for the Sevens format was sparked early.
“Since I’ve started playing rugby, I’ve always watched Sevens when it was on TV. My love for Sevens has basically existed since I was a kid.
“For as long as I’ve known how to pass a ball, I’ve always wanted to reach the level of the World Series.
“The Sevens game has definitely transformed me as a player in a positive way because the training and playing we go through is very tough mentally and physically.
“It basically pushes you to that next level as a player.”
Spain’s Sevens Revolution
Spanish rugby has seen tremendous growth, particularly in the Sevens format. Trevithick credits hard work behind the scenes:
“Rugby Sevens in Spain has had a major growth in recent years. Even though a few years back the level was still pretty high.
“I think the results we’re seeing now are the product of years of effort behind the scenes.
“Sevens in Spain is only ever going to go up from now, it can only get better. The next step is getting more 15s players involved, to widen our talent pool.
For Spain, success is built on passion and teamwork, with each player embracing a relentless work ethic, a deep sense of camaraderie, and an unwavering commitment to giving their all for the team.
Despite not being the most physically imposing squad, their unity, resilience, and ability to play with heart have become defining characteristics, allowing them to overcome challenges and compete against the best in the world.
“What defines us as a team and makes us unique and special, I would say, is probably the fact that we aren’t the biggest or most physical team on the circuit.
“One thing we try to do every single game is give it 100%, and we play with a lot of heart.
“Every single time we step onto that field we will do anything for the teammate next to us and I think we just give it everything, every single game.”
Dubai and Cape Town: Historic Performances
Spain’s performances in Dubai and Cape Town marked a turning point.
Reaching the Cup Final in Dubai and finishing fourth in Cape Town were unprecedented achievements, including beating the All Blacks Sevens twice in Dubai—a first in Spain’s history.
“The main takeaways we’ve gotten from Dubai and Cape Town is the fact that we’ve proven ourselves that we are capable of doing big things.
“I’d say one of the problems that we had in the past few seasons was a lack of confidence in beating very good teams.
“In many ways, we’ve proven to ourselves that whatever we try to do, we can do.
“I think the toughest aspect of Dubai and Cape Town was trying to stay focused after the good victories we had.
“We beat the All Blacks twice in a tournament, which has never happened before in history for us.
“Trying to forget what had happened and focus on the next game was difficult because we were so happy.
“Attempting to switch that mental state from happiness to focus in a matter of minutes was really tough.”
Looking Ahead to Perth
Spain head into the Perth 7s in January full of belief but aware of areas to improve.
“The main thing we will be focusing on to attack this circuit is ourselves.
“Even though we’ve had good results in Dubai and Cape Town, it doesn’t take away the fact that we still made mistakes and there’s a lot of things we can improve for next time.
“We have a few weeks to relax over the holidays and as soon as we’re back into training we’ll be focusing on ourselves fully.
“Once we see the pools come out, we will start studying the teams we’ll be facing.”
The Mindset of a Try-Scorer
Trevithick’s critical tries have been key to Spain’s success, but he remains grounded.
“Before a game, I try not to think too much about scoring tries. What I try to focus my attention on is getting the game plan done as well as possible.
“If every player in the team that’s on the field at that moment does the game plan as they should, the tries will come.
“I’m not trying to think much about the result of what I’m going to do. I’m trying to think more about the process. If we do the process well then the result will come with it.”
The Favorite Tournament: Dubai or Hong Kong?
When asked to pick a favourite, Trevithick struggles to choose between two iconic stops on the World Series.
“Hong Kong was very special last year because of the amount of people there and the incredible atmosphere.
“Dubai has to be my favourite, and I think It’s probably special for all players at the moment – It’s where we reached our first final. It’s unforgettable for all of us.”
Life Off the Pitch
Away from rugby, Trevithick unwinds by watching sports like Football, Tennis, and Formula 1.
“Another thing I really enjoy is cooking!
“I live with two teammates, and when we have time, we’ll spend hours preparing a good meal. It’s something we really enjoy.”
A Bright Future for Spain Sevens
Jeremy Trevithick embodies the passion and grit driving Spain’s rise in rugby Sevens.
From his first steps in Marbella to the world stage, his journey mirrors Spain’s growing presence in the sport.
With Perth 7s on the horizon, Trevithick and his teammates are determined to build on their historic successes and continue challenging the world’s best.
“We’ve shown what we’re capable of, now we want to keep pushing forward.”
HSBC SVNS Perth takes place on 24-26 January at HBF Park. Plan your ultimate rugby weekend in Western Australia with the help of flexible travel packages including tickets and accommodation. Buy Now or Find Out More.