WINNER TAKES ALL
Blitzboks still in contention for Sevens series crown despite seventh-place overall finish
The Grand Final in Madrid will determine the sevens series champion in a ‘winner-takes-all’ competition at the end of the month.
Sevens – or SVNS, as World Rugby renamed it – was revamped in 2023, introducing exciting changes like men’s and women’s teams competing on the same tour, at the same venues throughout the series.
Both teams also received equal participation fees and the series was cut from 11 locations to eight and the number of men’s core teams from 15 to 12.
While the changes introduced a highly competitive overall series, New Zealand and Australia women entered the final leg in Singapore tied on points, as Argentina men scraped past Ireland men by two points, following seven rounds of action, to finish top of the standings.
There are, however, some growing pains.
The eighth and final leg of the series in Madrid, to be held from 31 May to 2 June, is set to be the “winner-takes-all” Grand Final, as announced by World Rugby in 2023:
“Under the new HSBC SVNS 2024 model, seven regular-season events take place – in Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong – resulting in regular season League Winners being crowned in Singapore before a ‘winner-takes-all’ Grand Final in Madrid on 31 May to 2 June that will determine the HSBC SVNS champions.”
The top eight teams will compete for overall glory in the Grand Final while the teams that finished ninth to 12th will compete for core status in next year’s world series against four other Challenger series teams.
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This means that the Blitzboks, who finished seventh overall for a second consecutive year, will still have a chance at overall glory.
For context, the Springbok Sevens failed to reach the semifinals in all but one leg of the world series – the first one in Dubai in December, which they won.
It would be almost an embarrassment for the Blitzboks to win a one-off tournament and be the overall champions.
Winner-takes-some
World Rugby though has seemingly, although belatedly, realised the absurdity of it.
Despite no formal announcement of the introduction of a “league winners title”, one was handed out to and duly celebrated by Argentina men and New Zealand women.
That does, however, take away some of the meaning from the “winner-takes-all” title to be contested in Madrid. The winner of that tournament will at least take some, but the respective men’s and women’s teams that have been strongest throughout the season will deservedly take most.
Springbok women
The Springbok women, who competed in the world series for the first time in nine seasons, had a tough reintroduction to the circuit – they were the benefactors of the series increasing from 11 teams to 12.
They had a commendable highest-place finish of fifth in Los Angeles, but their inconsistency meant they finished last on three occasions.
Their final league position of 11th means they will be one of the sides competing in the promotion and relegation section at the “Grand Final” in Madrid. DM
Losing the plot — this year surely only gold, silver or bronze at the Olympics counts? They should put all the prize money into that competition.
It is the one which will get global TV coverage.