Scores To Settle In The Dubai’s Season Starter!
By Phoebe Awiti
HSBC SVNS 2025 kicks off with the Emirates The series will see the world’s best 12 men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams in the world compete in seven iconic global locations across seven months.
It will be the first time many of these 12 Men’s and 12 Women’s teams have faced off since the Olympic Rugby Sevens Tournament played in Paris last summer. While some teams will work hard to retain their positions, others will seek redemption for missing out on the Olympic top positions as teams new to the 24/25 Series will be looking to make their mark at the first round of the HSBC SVNS campaign. Dubai is key as a good performance here is needed to get going for the rest of the season.
In women’s rugby, New Zealand’s women who won their second successive Olympic title in Paris, will be aiming to reclaim the SVNS Champions title they lost to Australia in 2024. Australia has won the last four women’s titles at The Sevens Stadium.
Fans therefore can expect to see Olympic medallists on show in Dubai alongside new faces.
The world's top 12 team are primed and ready to shine in the sun
The squads
The Men’s Competition:
In Pool A, Olympic Champions France will take on South Africa – who have won the last three Emirates Dubai 7s Men’s Titles along with Australia who played very well in the Olympics and fan favourites Kenya, who are Back in the big time once more.
Pool B has a distinct European and South American feel to it. 23/24 Series League Winners Argentina take on Uruguay, as well as Ireland and Great Britain who will be striving for a great start in the desert.
Finally, Pool C featuring, Men’s Olympic Silver Medallists Fiji taking on the All-Blacks Sevens, the USA and Spain.
Kenya and Uruguay men and China women join SVNS following promotion from the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger. Kenya faces a tough time on their reintroduction to the international rugby sevens as they face Olympic champions France, serial Dubai winners South Africa and Australia in men’s pool A.
The Women’s Tournament:
The Australians most probably will be seeking to shake off the bad memories of Paris 2024. They will be going against Ireland, Fiji and the newcomers, China.
Olympic Bronze Medallists the USA, take on France, Great Britain and Spain in a very evenly matched Pool B. Paris Silver Medallists Canada will try to overturn Olympic Champions New Zealand for Pool C Japan and Brazil not giving them an easy time either.
The competition format replicates the Olympic model and sees the top two teams from each pool, plus the best two third-placed teams qualify for the quarterfinals from where it is knock-out rugby.
Rugby and some fun as well, the party vibe is everywhere
the Dubai 7s is more than just a rugby event, it’s a party, a huge party – an estimated 80,000 visitors will pass through the gates to the Sevens Stadium in the desert this weekend.
Since its inception in 1999, rugby sevens is normally accompanied with music and entertainment as well as some other sporting activities on the side. In this years’ event, UKs most successful music artists, Stormzy, the Sugababes and Artful Dodger are some of the artists lined up to entertain participants over the weekend. Apart from the music, the Dubai opener features a wealth of amateur and veteran tournaments on the outer pitches. Extensive hospitality and food and beverage stand complement the world class rugby sevens.
“I think it’s necessary. Ultimately, we need to get new eyeballs on the form of the game. And the reality is you have to make these events viable,” said the General Manager of the Emirates Dubai 7s – Mat Tait in a pre-event press conference.
Kick off is at 09:00 local time (GMT+4) on Saturday with pool matches as reigning women’s Olympic champions New Zealand take on Brazil on Pitch 2, while silver medallists Canada open their campaign against Japan on Pitch 1.
Day two begins at 09:20 on Sunday with the quarterfinals and culminates with the women’s gold medal final at 19:35, followed by the men’s final at 20:11 local time.
“We have some new initiatives this year, designed to see you through the weekend. We have called these out on the next pages. We are delighted to announce that we will be live streaming every minute of the Emirates Dubai 7s Invitational Rugby Tournament on the 29th and 30th November and 1st December,” Simon Jelowitz (Head of Sport Operations Emirates Dubai 7s) said via the international tournament handbook.