World Championship Series: Six players to watch at the Hong Kong Sevens

The HSBC SVNS World Championship Series is set to kick off this week with the Hong Kong Sevens, and with it, the chance for the best of the best to push for an elusive title.

With the finals ahead come new opportunities for players to shine and stand out, with those hidden under the radar the best primed to shake up the wider competition.

RugbyPass once again breaks down six stars who we think are flying under the radar in the 2025-26 HSBC Sevens Series, with finals now in the picture and SVNS 2 stars also in the mix.

Our qualifiers are that these players have played at least one tournament this year, and they currently have no points in the RugbyPass SVNS MVP.

George Oro (Kenya)

Starting in the new arrivals is a player who has become a major part of Kenya’s Sevens competition.

A member of Kenya’s 2024 Summer Olympics squad, Oro put his time this year to good use, winning the Player of the Final Award in the opening leg of SVNS 2 in Nairobi.

Despite his side not winning one of the three legs, Kenya were the most consistent team in the men’s competition largely down to his experience, and he’ll be invaluable come kick-off in Hong Kong.

Thalia Costa (Brazil)

Speaking of key stars, one of Brazil’s key figures is set to play a major part in her side’s journey back to the World Series.

Thalia Costa comes from a rugby-mad family and is one of her side’s most experienced heads, participating in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, as well as the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Winning the Player of the Final Award in the final leg of SVNS 2, Costa is a big reason why her side was able to pull a result out of the fire and qualify for the world championship.

Douglas Daveta (Fiji)

In a side filled with Sevens rugby stars, Douglas Daveta has been walking softly and carrying a big stick in the men’s Fijian outfit.

Daveta impressed in the final tournament of the regular season in New York, scoring 21 points across the weekend, as well as pulling off seven offloads, the second-highest across the whole tournament.

Having featured in the last four tournaments, including his side’s victory in Singapore, expect Daveta to make a lot more of an impact come finals.

Sofía González (Argentina)

Speaking of big years, Argentina’s women’s Sevens side has had a collossal year, moving from making the final of SVNS 3 to winning the SVNS 2 tournament with leg victories in Nairobi and Montevideo.

Many key players in that outfit put their hand up to appear in this list, but Sofía González tops the list, lighting up the pitch in Nairobi to win the Player of the Final Award in the inaugural leg.

As Argentine women’s rugby continues to make it’s mark, expect González’s name to come up much more.

Sebastiaan Jobb (South Africa)

A regular feature in the Blitzboks outfit since Singapore, Jobb has been a key part of the Blitzboks’ success in his third year in the World Series.

Finishing with three tries in New York and a title to go with it, it caps off a busy year that saw him finish in Perth as South Africa’s leading try-scorer.

With his side now looking to defend their title, expect Jobb to stand up once again over the next three months.

Maia Davis (New Zealand)

Making her debut for the Black Ferns Sevens in 2025, Maia Davis has been a regular feature across the 2025-26 season, playing in every tournament except Vancouver this year.

In one of the most settled and established sides in the whole circuit, Davis has been one of the her nation’s most unsung stars, brilliantly supporting the likes of Kelsey Teneti, Jorja Miller and Risi Pouri-Lane.

With the Black Ferns favourites to defend their title, expect Davis to play a big part if her side successfully gets over the line.