The SVNS stars to watch in Super Rugby Champions Final, NPC and Currie Cup

The domestic season in the southern hemisphere is in full swing, and with it a chance to see sevens stars in action in the longer format of rugby.

Several sevens tournaments have already impressed across July, with the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series playing its final round last week ahead of the final in early August.

The Kenya National 7s Circuit also got underway last week with the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru, with the second round of action, the Dala 7s, being played at Mamboleo Stadium this weekend.

That is before you get to the domestic level in Australia, with several sevens stars also in action in premier grade rugby, with potential spots up for grabs ahead of the second season of Super Rugby AUS getting underway in September.

Super Rugby Champions Final

Staying in Australia, the biggest fixture to watch on the domestic front this weekend is the Super Rugby Champions Final, which will see 2026 Super Rugby Women’s champions the NSW Waratahs host Super Rugby Aupiki champions the Blues at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday.

The hosts are set to unleash a flurry of sevens stars behind a full Wallaroo forward pack, spearheaded by Aussie 7s’ Tia Hinds and Australia A 7s and Wallaroo star Waiaria Ellis in the halves.

The Wallaroos top tryscorer Maya Stewart will start on the right wing, having made a successful transition to sevens when she debuted in Singapore earlier this year, with Piper Simons also set to provide a back up halves option from the bench.

The sole change to the side due to Desiree Miller suffering an injury, the Waratahs will bring in two exciting talents from the Next Gen 7s competition: with Amelia Whittaker, fresh off a double against Fiji promoted to start, with Lusiana Vesikula taking her place on the bench.

They will face a Blues side that features Black Ferns 7s seven stars that have broken the Aupiki season wide open, with Katelynn Vahaakolo coming off the bench and scoring the match-winning try in the grand final last week against Matat?.

Jaymie Kolose is likely to feature in the side after what has been a colossal year in both the sevens and XVs format, starting on the wing.

Braxton Sorensen-McGee is tentative to feature after being forced to leave the field early in the final, but would be a colossal inclusion for the Blues at fullback as the New Zealand side looks to make it back-to-back Champions titles.

National Provincial Championship

The heartland of New Zealand rugby will be humming this weekend with the kicking off of the Hilux NPC, which is set to feature more than a dozen All Blacks 7s starts across the 14 sides.

Kicking off on Thursday, Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist Joe Webber is set to start on the wing for Bay of Plenty as they take on Waikato in the season opener, with recent sevens debutant Frank Vaenuku on the other wing for the Steamers.

The duo will be tough to contain for the hosts, Waikato starting Sevens alumni Oli Mathis at flanker, giving them go-forward in the set piece.

Fellow 2025/26 debutant Sam Clarke will debut at flyhalf for Taranaki, and will have a handy running mate in former All Blacks Sevens star Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, who has since excelled for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Michael Manson will be slotting back into his position on the right wing with Southland when they face Otago, looking to make an impact after his debut in the SVNS Series, partnering with Scott Gregory at inside centre.

Otago will feature a sevens alumni in Jona Nareki on the wing, who has since been plying his trade with the Highlanders for the last six seasons.

However, the biggest excitement for sevens fans looms in Christchurch, as defending champions Canterbury face Auckland in a match that will feature five All Blacks 7s stars.

Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalist Andrew Knewstubb will line up at flyhalf for the hosts, partnering with Riche Mo’unga who is set to come off the bench.

They will be facing a Blues side that includes flanker Che Clark and wingers Xavier Tito-Harris and Codemeru Vai, all of whom have played in the sevens format. With Payton Spencer the last sevens star coming off the bench, expect the four players to make a big impact for the visitors.

Currie Cup

The first fortnight of action in South Africa’s top domestic tournament is underway, with nearly every Currie Cup team featuring players that are former or current members of the Blitzboks.

Among several former stars included in the squads are Cheetahs utility back Clayton Blommetjies, who featured in sevens back in 2012, Griquas winger Gurshwin Wehr, and Pumas utility Darren Adonis, who has been in and out of the sevens format since his 2022 debut.

Several sides, including Griquas, have managed to land several high-achieving members of the Blitzboks, with winger Sako Makata, who retired from sevens in 2023, part of the side that went on to win Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham in 2022.

His other teammates from that winning side featuring in the competition include winger Angelo Davids and flanker JC Pretorius (Lions), winger Mfundo Ndhlovu (Stormers) and winger Christie Grobbelaar (Sharks), the latter also boasting a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a silver medal at the 2024 Africa Men’s Sevens.

Completing the Blitzbok contingent are several new additions, with Gino Cupido, who made his sevens debut in 2025 and last featured in Valladolid, lining up as a centre for the Stormers.

The Boland Cavaliers have landed the handy skillest of Renaldo Young, who made his sevens debut in 2026 in the Blitzboks side that won the Perth SVNS.

Lastly, the Sharks will call on the services of Luan Giliomee, one of the rainbow nation’s most in-demand stars. Playing in both the Singapore and Perth SVNS, Giliomee is fresh off being part of South Africa’s successful Junior World Championship title defence, making his debut for the Sharks in March this year.