Australia claimed victory in Bordeaux to crown a vintage World Championship-winning year, as France’s men’s side claimed a home tournament crown and South Africa’s Blitzboks lifted the overall title.
Australia celebrated not one but two titles at Stade Atlantique, as they added the Bordeaux HSBC SVNS World Championship series crown to their Valladolid title – and claimed the overall world title with a dominant victory over great rivals New Zealand in an all-action final.
Co-captain Isabella Nasser was full of praise for her team-mates: “We definitely had our bumps, ups and downs throughout this tournament and to show up like that against a really quality side like New Zealand, I couldn’t be more proud of the girls,” she told Rugbypass moments after the final whistle had blown at the end of the showpiece match.
“We have an amazing squad at home and the squad here, and the depth of our programme is unbelievable – we saved the best to last in regards to our performance.
“To be able to perform when it really matters at crunch time in the World Championship is really important to us. [New Zealand are] a quality side, amazing talent in their team. For us to go that one bit more and to be able to put more tries on, to be able to show up is really important to us and I couldn’t be happier.”
Canada claimed third with a victory over USA, while Spain’s eighth-place finish was enough to see them promoted to next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series, at Great Britain’s expense.
The eight sides on the main tour next season will be: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, France, Fiji, Japan and Spain.
In the men’s competition France came back from the brink of relegation to HSBC SVNS 2 to claim the final title of the season in Bordeaux in emphatic fashion with a roof-raising 14-5 win over New Zealand in the showpiece match, while South Africa’s disappointment at finishing fourth was improved by lifting the overall world title at the end of an impressive campaign.
A pool phase defeat against the All Blacks Sevens on the opening day had left Les Bleus at risk of missing out on the main HSBC SVNS Series next season – but they recovered to launch a charge that ended with a large crowd at Stade Atlantique celebrating as their homegrown heroes raised the trophy at the end of an intense final.
France’s victorious captain Paulin Riva said afterwards: “This championship is very difficult with a lot of big teams like South Africa. [But] we want to be here and we would like to be present.
“Obviously I’m one of the older players [on the squad]. We’re rebuilding the squad, we want to grow every year until the Olympic Games. I think this is the way – it’s been amazing.”
“We work hard every time, every tournament – and tonight it was an amazing game against a big New Zealand team.”
Spain slightly spoiled South Africa’s HSBC SVNS World Championship party by coming from behind to take the third-place play-off 40-14. But, after 37 wins and five tournament titles on the series, there’s no denying the Blitzboks are thoroughly deserving overall champions.
The drama in Bordeaux was not confined to the upper echelons, as USA’s remarkable run to fifth place was enough for them to deny Kenya and claim a spot on next season’s main HSBC SVNS Series, with Great Britain dropping from the main tour to HSBC SVNS 2.
The teams competing on the HSBC SVNS main stage next season will be: South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, France and USA.
