Hong Kong Sevens: Men's Preview

Alex Ho / Zach Franzen / World Rugby

As rugby returns to the famous Hong Kong Sevens the stakes are higher than ever. Now in the 50th year of the event, it was the inspiration behind the World Rugby Sevens Series in 1999.

Under the current format, it will make up the first of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events. The eight teams making up the men’s and women’s SVNS Division 1, will now be joined by four qualifiers from the HSBC SVNS Division 2 and 3 tournaments. All teams will be eligible as they compete for the HSBC SVNS World Championship, which will crown the season championships. But there is jeopardy too. Teams will also be competing to secure their places in the series for 2026.

POOL A

South Africa lifted the SVNS 1 title at the last round in New York. After securing a home win in Cape Town, they won three tournaments in a row between Perth, Vancouver and New York to close the SVNS1 season. Ranked 6th and 7th in the SVNS1, they are joined by Argentina and Spain, who both managed top three tournament finishes this season. Uruguay join from SVNS2. Consistency paid off as the former core team secured their place with two fourth place, and one third place finish.

POOL B

Fiji were narrowly beaten out by South Africa across the SVNS1 league season. The most consistent team in the series, they secured top three finishes at every event, and won the Singapore stop. Olympic champions France are drawn second in Group B. With mixed results this season, they will look to take advantage of a struggling and now part time Great Britain side, who sit bottom of the SVNS1 table. Joining from SVNS2, are Germany. The team known as the Wolfpack have been a fixture on the European circuit for a number of years. After winning the SVNS2 event in Nairobi, it’s an exciting opportunity for an emerging team.

POOL C - Group Of Death

Australia finished third overall in SVNS1. They will be joined by their perennial rivals, New Zealand. After winning the first round of the season in Dubai, the All Blacks Sevens side achieved a fourth place finish this season, after form dropped off as they finished seventh and sixth at the Vancouver and New York events. Kenya will also make a return to the series. After winning their playoff match in Los Angeles, they hosted a stop on the SVNS2 series in Nairobi where they achieved a bronze medal in front of a boisterous home crowd.

After winning the Montevideo leg of the SVNS 2 series, the United States join the HSBC SVNS World Championship. After being victims of the format change at the end of the 2025 season they will look to secure qualification for SVNS1 in 2026-27. Now coached by former USA Sevens player Zack Test, performance in the group stage will be vital for success this weekend.

Notable absences:

Canada are absent from the SVNS World Championship series after finishing 6th in SVNS2. It will be a massive loss for the sport, with Vancouver as a host city for a stop of the series.. After winning the Sao Paulo stop of the SVNS2 series, Belgium also missed out after finishing 5th and 6th in Nairobi and Montevideo.

Speaking to USA Rugby, United States men’s coach Zack Test said:

“Our goal is to start the World Championship campaign playing to our standard across every minute and maximizing our points return. We understand the importance of building early momentum, but that comes from a relentless focus on the process. It’s about consistency across both days, executing our roles, and maintaining discipline in the key moments.”

“This first stop is about raising the bar with every performance, trusting the build, and continuing to show that what we’ve created can stand up against anyone.”

“Earning the #1 seed at SVNS 2 was a reflection of the work this group has put in. Our discipline, our consistency, and the commitment to our process over time shows that what we’re building is real and that our standards travel. But for us, it’s not something we lean on - it’s something we carry with responsibility.” “The World Championships is a different level, and seeding doesn’t win you anything. What matters is how we show up at every moment. We’ve built our identity around doing the details right, staying connected under pressure, and trusting our way of doing things. When we continue to live that, our brotherhood, our work ethic, and our consistency, we give ourselves the best chance to perform at the level we know we’re capable of.”

How to watch:

In the United States the HSBC SVNS World Championships can be viewed on Paramount +.

For other nations we recommend the Where to Watch page on the World Rugby SVNS website.

Match timings and live scores can be found on the World Rugby Sevens website.