Newly crowned Dubai champions New Zealand and finalists Australia both missed out on the semi-finals in Cape Town, as the new-look SVNS format took a hard toll on the teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defending Cape Town champions South Africa, however had no problem booking their place in the last four, winning all three of their matches to set up a Cup decider against France on Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the other half of the draw, a much-improved Spain were denied a last four spot on points difference, after conceding a late try against a rejuvenated Argentina to gift the South American side a crucial bonus point that meant they topped the pool and were assured a quarter-final against Fiji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France then did more than enough to claim second in the pool, leaving last season\u2019s Grand Final runners-up facing another minor-places play-off run.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third try of Shilton van Wyk\u2019s hat-trick, after the hooter, pulled victory out of the jaws of defeat for hosts and defending champions South Africa, as they came from behind on the final play of their opening match to beat Fiji 24-21 and send the Cape Town crowd into raptures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Blitzboks went two for two as a thrilling score from Ronald Brown sent South Africa free and clear in their second outing of the day against New Zealand, despite twice playing with a numerical disadvantage. His touchdown meant Scott Gregory\u2019s after-the-hooter score did not affect the result. It ended 19-14 to the hosts. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In their last match, South Africa gave their ecstatic home fans plenty to cheer as they beat Great Britain 41-7 to take the defence of their title into the semi-finals. Sonwabo Sokoyi scored on debut, while Roan Frostwick touched down for Great Britain late on to avoid a second nilling in two tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier, the first try of Riley Williams\u2019 sevens career rounded off an opening pool phase win for New Zealand, as they beat a determined Great Britain 29-12. Frank Vaenuku had earlier scored two in quick succession for the All Blacks Sevens after Roan Frostwick had given their opponents a surprise lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never-say-beaten Great Britain continued to impress against Fiji, more than holding their own in an enthralling encounter, eventually going down to a Rauto Vakadranu try as they lost 21-17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always entertaining Fiji then booked their place in the last four with a 35-5 win over New Zealand, courtesy of doubles from Viwa Naduvalo and Terio Veilawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few days in Cape Town appeared to do Dubai eighth-place finishers Argentina plenty of good. Luciano Gonzalez and Matteo Graziano scored two apiece as they beat Dubai finalists Australia 36-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ali Dabo\u2019s late try banked an early 19-14 win for France over Spain as temperatures soared in Cape Town. But they could not repeat their record-breaking heroics in Dubai against Argentina, succumbing to a Luciano Gonzalez-inspired 24-19 loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pool B was thrown wide open, however, when Spain beat Australia 19-17, despite a brace for Dietrich Roache. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Argentina did just enough to make certain they qualified for the last four \u2014 Eliseo Morales scoring the crucial try with the second-half clock in the red to ensure they got the point they needed, despite losing 31-26 against a rejuvenated Spain. Jeremy Trevithick scored three for the European side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A double for France\u2019s Liam Delamare in the last Pool B match sent Les Bleus through to the semi-finals at Spain\u2019s expense, as they beat Australia 29-10, to avenge their semi-final defeat in Dubai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dubai finalists New Zealand and France look to be on a collision course for a second women’s final in as many SVNS tournaments, after both going unbeaten on the opening day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jorja Miller overtook Maddison Levi in the season try-scoring rankings with a hat-trick in the final match of Pool A, as the Black Ferns Sevens went three-for three to top the table and set-up a semi-final against France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller has 11 tries so far this season, one more than her Australian rival heading into finals day on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Levi had a quiet day by her standards, crossing the whitewash just three times. But Australia, who have never been beaten in Cape Town, eased to consecutive victories over France, Canada and Japan to set up their last-four match against USA on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A double for Kaylen Thomas guided USA to a 15-7 win over Fiji in their opening match, as they started their quest to go one better in Cape Town than last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiji, who finished fourth in Dubai bounced back from their opening match disappointment, with six players registering tries as they beat Great Britain 40-0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breakout Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup 2025 star Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored her first SVNS try as freshly crowned Dubai champions New Zealand opened the defence of their Cape Town title with a comfortable 38-10 win over Great Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, after the upset in Dubai last weekend, New Zealand weren\u2019t about to let USA grab a second victory in as many meetings. Kelsey Teneti\u2019s first-half double \u2014 she got her hat-trick with a powerful and pacy solo effort early in the second period \u2014 set the Black Ferns Sevens on the way to a 38-12 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n USA, however, later beat winless Great Britain 31-17, thanks in no small part to a brace for Su Adegoke, to leave semi-final qualification in the hands of New Zealand, who faced Fiji in the final Pool A match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To deny USA, Fijiana had to beat the Black Ferns Sevens for the first time. The freshly crowned Dubai champions didn\u2019t give them a chance, racing into a 19-0 first-half lead, and going on to win 31-19, aided by a Jorja Miller hat-trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Australia, out to prove a point after their long reign as queens of Dubai ended against their will last week, issued an early warning with a seven-try 41-0 mauling of France in Group B.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n They doubled down on that win with a 26-19 victory over Canada second time out. Faith Nathan dotted down twice, with Madison Ashby and Isabella Nasser also scoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Les Bleues bounced back in their second outing of the day. Suliana Sivi scored two as they beat Dubai bronze finishers Japan 29-19, after Yume Hirano had got the scoreboard moving with a try in her 50th sevens tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan had set a high bar in the opening match of the day, against Canada, as they set out to build on their third-place in Dubai. Sakura Mizutani finished not one but two well-worked moves, and Hana Nagata raced clear from 80m out as they won 26-19 to claim a second win over the Paris silver-medallists in as many tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, having finished seventh in Dubai, France put one foot firmly in the semi-finals with a 31-12 win over Canada, Lou Noel scoring a hat-trick inside five first-half minutes to set them on their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Maddison Levi double in the final match of Pool B sent Australia through to the semi-finals unbeaten. They quickly snuffed out Japan\u2019s outside chances of a last-four place en route to a 36-5 final score.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Newly crowned Dubai champions New Zealand and finalists Australia both missed out on the semi-finals in Cape Town,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[300],"class_list":["post-6888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-rugby-sevens"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tNew Zealand and Australia pool perfect<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n