The standout matches across the Men's HSBC SVNS Series regular season

As the HSBC SVNS breaks until next month, the gap gives fans the chance to look back on an incredible regular season of the competition filled with outstanding clashes, drama and individual brilliance.

Every leg of the tournament delivered surprises, and with the finals now ahead and the business of finding a champion in focus, RugbyPass sits down for a special two-part series, giving our picks for the best matches of each of the six legs of the 2025-26 HSBC SVNS Series.

With 240 matches to choose from, let’s dive in, starting with the men’s competition. While South Africa has emerged the victors in the regular season, fans were delighted by nearly every team across the tournament.

Dubai: New Zealand 24-21 Fiji (Semi Final)

New Zealand’s sole leg win in the men’s regular season this year, the side had to dig deep to see off the likes of Australia and Spain during the pool round, eventually meeting their Trans-Tasman rivals in the grand final and prevailing 26-22, a match that could have also taken this spot.

However, their semi-final against Fiji takes the top spot, with the men in black coming from behind twice against the SVNS heavyweights, Brady Rush scoring a critical try in the final minute of the match to hand his side a crucial win.

Cape Town: South Africa 21-19 Argentina (Final)

A match-up of considerable proportions, both South Africa and Argentina had scores to settle when they met in the Cape Town final.

The Pumas 7s had dominated the 2024/25 season only to go out in the finals, with South Africa claiming the championship. With South Africa claiming the Cape Town SVNS that year, there was national pride on the line for the Blitzboks.

The result was a thriller in the Cape, with Argentina leading 14-7 at halftime only for a stunning South African fightback in the last five minutes, led by eventual player of the match Shilton van Wyk. It would prove a critical win in the context of the Blitzboks’ season.

Singapore: Fiji 21-12 France (Final)

Arguably the most consistent side in the men’s competition, Fiji was in the mix the whole regular season, the only side finishing in the top three across all six legs of the regular season.

However, Singapore saw their one title win, and an exhibition of the best of the sheer tenacity and athleticism that Fiji’s free-flowing rugby is known for.

Down 12-0 against France in the final, Viwa Naduvalo, Kavekini Tanivanuakula and Pilipo Bukayaro spurred a remarkable comeback, the Fijians dominating the second half to claim back-to-back Singapore titles, and their fifth overall.

Perth: Great Britain 26-19 New Zealand (Men’s Pool B)

While Perth saw a brilliant contest play out between South Africa, Fiji and hosts Australia, it also contained a contender for the upset of the year.

Great Britain delivered one of the performances of the year in the west, coming from two tries down early in the first half to stun New Zealand, with Finley Lloyd-Gilmour scoring a hat-trick and announcing himself as a player to watch in British rugby.

In a difficult year for Team GB’s men’s and women’s sides, this result in Perth was a major bright spark.

Vancouver: Spain 24-17 Fiji (Semi Final)

Vancouver was Spain’s time to shine, the side coming out of nowhere to stun several big stars in the penultimate tournament of the regular season.

In a congested Pool A, the Spanish surprised with a 12-10 win over New Zealand, also overcoming a determined Great Britain to finish second in the pool behind South Africa. However, their semi-final performance against Fiji was one of their best.

A double to Eduardo Lopez set the tone early as the Fijians fought back to be down 17-10 at the break. However, the Spaniards overcame a yellow card to hold on and win, and while they lost to South Africa in the final, they finished with their best ever result in the Canada Sevens.

New York: Australia 19-12 South Africa (Men’s Pool A)

While the 10-7 final win for the Blitzboks over Fiji would also be a worthy contender for this list, instead, we’ll finish with the side that caused the greatest number of headaches for the eventual finalists.

Jostling for third place with New Zealand and France, Australia had a massive first day in New York, sweeping the competition to top Pool A.

The big surprise came in their 19-12 win over South Africa, which showcased several of their brand new stars, including Wallace Charlie, Aden Ekanayake and Harry Wilson.

Despite falling to Fiji and Argentina on day two, the Aussies’ efforts in New York proved enough to see them claim bronze in the regular season, which lines them up to cause even more headaches when the finals kick off next month.