HSBC SVNS rugby championships fever arrives in Vancouver for the opening round of back-to-back North American legs, with anticipation high for both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments leading into the end-of-season Championship series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BC Place is is set to host decisive matches as the race for vital league points goes to the wire in both tournaments, with last year\u2019s winners Argentina and New Zealand defending their titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Singapore champions Fiji, who have finished in the top three of every event on the HSBC SVNS Series so far this season, head the table in the men\u2019s competition, chased hard by Cape Town and Perth winners South Africa and Dubai champions New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paris Olympic gold-medallists France sit just outside the top three, level on points with Australia, while two-time league winners Argentina are recovering from a slow start this season, and will be keen to make their mark on the last two legs of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the men\u2019s competition, Fiji are in a tough Pool B in Vancouver, and will face Australia, Argentina and France. South Africa, meanwhile, will play New Zealand, Spain and Great Britain in Pool A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get used to this weather,\u201d Argentina\u2019s Santiago Alvarez joked when players gathered at the Pier next to the Convention Centre for the pre-tournament captains’ photograph event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve come from Argentina, it\u2019s hot there now, so we’re trying to get comfortable here. But we\u2019re looking forward to the weekend. Vancouver has been a good place for us. We\u2019ve won some championships here, but we’re a new team, we\u2019re trying to be better each day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the women\u2019s competition, New Zealand have opened up a four-point gap over great rivals Australia heading into Vancouver, and will renew a fierce battle that has seen them contest each of the four finals to date on the tour. USA, France, Canada and Japan, meanwhile, are vying for third in the table as the Series enters its closing stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After their heroics in Perth, three-time 2026 Series champions New Zealand have been drawn against France, Japan and Great Britain in Pool A in Canada. Cape Town winners Australia, meanwhile, face a stiff first-day challenge against USA, Canada and Fiji in Pool B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada\u2019s Carissa Norsten said: \u201cWe\u2019re feeling really good. We\u2019ve a couple of older girls who are back into the squad for this tournament who weren\u2019t here for the last one, so we\u2019re really excited to see them on the field again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was, she added no place like home for the Canada team \u201cIt\u2019s a feeling like no other. You can just feel the support coming from all around you in the stadium. It\u2019s so exciting and so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, despite the excitement of playing in front of a home crowd at BC Place, she said the squad were serious about their goals. \u201cWe\u2019re definitely looking for a podium finish. We want to be in those top three spots. We\u2019re just doing what we always do: sticking to our processes and our systems and preparing how we normally do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fans can look forward to a vibrant festival atmosphere, complete with family-friendly activities, and fan zones across both days of the event, while they can also see Canada’s men’s side, HSBC SVNS 3 Champions in Dubai, in action against Japan and Chile in the Teck Tri-Nations Challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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