SVNS Singapore magic: NZ and Fiji dominance, Kenya and Canada shocks

In the hot, humid, gentrified Lion City of Singapore, Sevens has thrown up two of the biggest surprises in SVNS history, interspersed by the formidable dominance of the All Blacks Sevens and Fiji, who have each won the Cup title four times.

2002: All Blacks Sevens Strike the Right Chorus In Singapore

The All Blacks Sevens were commanding winners of the 2001/2002 World Sevens Series, capturing seven of the 11 Cup titles.

Joe Rokocoko scored a brace of tries and also set up future All Blacks flanker Chris Masoe for the Kiwis’ other try in the 21-17 victory over Argentina in the first Singapore final.

Rokocoko, 19, opened the scoring early in the decider when a giant step off the left foot set him clear and he galloped home unchallenged from 60 metres out.

On the stroke of half-time, Rokocoko broke again from his own half and passed inside for Masoe to sprint clear and score to give the Kiwis a 14-5 cushion at the break. The St Kentigern College prodigy would cross again in the second half to foil the fast-finishing Pumas.

“We’ve cut his hair to reduce wind resistance,” joked winning captain Damian Karauna, standing in for the suspended Dallas Seymour.

Seymour, along with Craig de Goldi, had been consigned to the sidelines for their part in an ugly brawl against Samoa in pool play, which saw Samoan legend Uale Mai banned for 24 weeks and captain Semo Setiti, incorrectly, red-carded among the chaos by South African referee Andre Watson, who presided over the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup finals.

In 2003, Rokocoko would debut for the All Blacks and score a record 17 tries in 12 Tests in his first season, still a calendar-year record for the All Blacks.

The All Blacks Sevens won the Singapore Sevens in 2005 and went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. In the 19-17 victory against Argentina in the 2023 final, it was an 85-metre try from Brady Rush from a Pumas lineout fumble that was the decisive difference. In 2024, the All Blacks Sevens pipped Ireland 17-14. Leroy Carter (All Black), Fehi Fineanganofo (Hurricanes) and captain Dylan Collier scored tries.

2016: Keyna King of Singapore

The series returned to the National Stadium in Singapore after a 10-year absence in 2016.

In a spectacular surprise, Keyna charged to their first Cup title, overwhelming Fiji 30-7 in the final. Collins Injera scored twice and was named player of the tournament. The talismanic flyer, who scored 244 tries for Kenya during a long and fruitful career, identified Singapore as a highlight.

“Singapore was a special tournament for us,” Injera reflected in 2017. “It was our first win, and it was a big deal in Kenya. There was a parade for the team, and it put some pressure on us to perform in future tournaments.”

Kenya had only scraped through to the knockout stages after beating Russia, drawing with Scotland and losing to South Africa. In the quarter-finals, they accounted for France 28-7, before facing Argentina in the last four. At the end of regulation time, it was 12-12. Injera describes what happened next:

“We had scored in the dying moments to tie the scores. I missed a relatively easy conversion, and the game went to extra time. We won a penalty, and I decided to shoot for goal, 40 metres out. If I had missed it, it wouldn’t have mattered. We would have kept on going. I put my head down, followed through, and fortunately, I kicked it. It was a spectacular moment.”

Keyna reached the Canada and Hong Kong cup finals in 2018, having previously featured in the 2009 Adelaide and 2013 Wellington deciders.

2017: Canada Conquers Against The Odds

It took 140 tournaments, but after an upset-riddled tournament, Canada at last won its first cup title, outpacing the USA 26-19 in the final. Canada jumped faster than Ben Johnson out of the gates to lead 19-0 in a flash, with tries to Matt Mullins, Harry Jones and Mike Fuailefau giving Canada a commanding lead.

The USA responded, though — Perry Baker and Stephen Tomasin’s tries cut the lead to 19-12 at the break. Baker would strike first in the second half, tying the game at 19-19.

Lucas Hammond had the final say with an epic salvo that secured history for Canada. A loose pass by Nathan Hirayama bounced into the hands of Hammond, who pivoted past a would-be defender and dashed into a small hole, racing 25 metres for the finish. South African-born Hammond attended the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2021 Olympic Games in Sweden.

Meanwhile, the outstanding Hirayama was a headline writer. In the quarter final against the All Blacks Sevens, Canada’s record points scorer notched a hat-trick and 21 points in all as the Canadians blitzed the All Blacks 26-14. The USA were equally spectacular in their quarter-final, knocking out Fiji 24-19 with two tries each from Stephen Tomasin and Ben Pinkelman.

Canada’s captain, John Moonlight, was overwhelmed by the triumph at the time.

“It’s hard to put words into how it actually feels. We took a licking from Fiji yesterday and took a licking from the coach, from the players and ourselves, and we showed up today and showed the world that we can beat anyone,” he said.

2024: Black Ferns Outshine Australia in  First Women’s Epic

The Black Ferns Sevens and Australia were tied on 106 points each heading into the last SVNS Cup final of the 2023/24 season in Singapore.

Australia looked poised to take league honours when leading 14-12 at halftime. Australia had scored twice after an initial Michaela Blyde strike, with the potent Maddison Levi going coast to coast and Isabella Nasser tumbling over with momentum after an ankle tap by Jorja Miller, who’d saved a try with an act of desperation seconds earlier.

Miller grew rampant in the second half. Upon the resumption, Nasser busted for Australia and galloped into space, caught by Miller, who wrenched a turnover near the halfway line and set Tysha Ikenasio free down the right wing. Ikenasio was caught by Kaitlin Shave agonisingly short of the paint. Theresa Setefano outpaced Aussie chasers to the ensuing ruck and skidded a pass across the grass, which Michaela Blyde collected calmly and unmarked to complete a hat-trick.

Miller then laid on tries for Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Stacey Waaka as the Black Ferns prevailed 31-21.

Earlier, Blyde created the record for most SVNS final hat-tricks with six as she finished the regular season as the Black Ferns’ leading try scorer with 52. She had rushed 80m for the opening try and sprinted 50m just before the interval after Miller had offloaded in the grasp of the defence and into space

The Black Ferns Sevens won the League title for the eighth time despite the absence of captain Sarah Hirini, record points scorer Tyla King, and fellow Olympic gold medalist Shiray Kaka.