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HSBC 2025 SVNS Vancouver Day 1 – Recap & Photos
Canada Women made a triumphant return to Vancouver after securing a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, thrilling fans with two dominant victories. Charity Williams wasted no time, scoring her 100th HSBC SVNS Series try in the opening moments against Brazil before quickly adding another to reach 101. The team carried that momentum forward, delivering a seven-try spectacle against Spain and securing the top spot in Pool A heading into day two.
Reflecting on her milestone, Williams shared, “That’s probably the milestone for me that I’m really proud of. I’m really proud of myself for being in the game for as long as I have. It was awesome to get the ball from our captain who has been wonderful and it felt good touch that one down for sure.
“It brings me back to the very beginning when I was 16 or 17 and I think I scored my first try in Brazil, it literally feels like a lifetime ago and I was like a baby then and I had no idea what was in store for me. To look back and see that I’ve been here for over a decade, I’m just really grateful.”
Meanwhile, Olympic champions New Zealand maintained their dominance in Pool B with two convincing wins. Michaela Blyde continued her record-breaking form, scoring five of the team’s 10 tries against Ireland. In doing so, she surpassed fellow New Zealander Portia Woodman-Wickliffe to set a new tournament record of 260 tries, helping propel the team into Saturday’s quarter-finals.
Over in Pool C, Japan closed out day one at the top after securing wins against Fiji and Great Britain. France, however, will need to regroup after suffering back-to-back losses. Their upcoming match against Japan is a must-win if they hope to keep their quarter-final dreams alive.
The biggest shock of the day came in the final moments, as Brazil pulled off a stunning upset over second-placed Australia, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown on day two.
Read the Day 1 Women’s Report.
One of the standout clashes of the men’s tournament saw South Africa edge out New Zealand 12-10 in a thrilling, end-to-end battle. They followed up with an impressive win over Ireland, securing their place at the top of Pool B at the end of day one.
In Pool A, Great Britain kicked off their campaign with a commanding 26-7 victory over France, but their path to the quarter-finals remains uncertain after a narrow loss to Argentina. The outcome will be decided on day two.
Over in Pool C, Spain continued their strong run in the series, notching victories over both the USA and Uruguay. They now share the top spot with Fiji, who also secured maximum points against the same opponents.
The pool stage resumes at 10:30 (GMT-8) on Saturday, leading into the quarter-finals in the afternoon. The action culminates on Sunday, with finals day kicking off at 10:50, and the men’s and women’s championship matches set for 17:05 and 17:41, respectively.
Following the format introduced in Perth, the women’s final will once again serve as the tournament’s grand finale, bringing HSBC SVNS Vancouver to an electrifying close.
This year’s Vancouver SVNS festival is bigger than ever, celebrating its 10th anniversary as the Canadian leg of the series. Alongside world-class rugby sevens action featuring 12 of the best men’s and women’s teams—packed with Olympic stars—fans can enjoy a variety of entertainment, including global food options, live music, interactive activities like a snowball obstacle course, and, for the first time in SVNS Series history, a competitive axe-throwing showdown featuring team captains.
Beyond BC Place, the excitement continues with seven rugby-themed light installations scattered across downtown Vancouver throughout the weekend, building on the success of a similar fan-favourite activation seen during Taylor Swift’s recent visit to the city.
Check out our favourite photos of the day below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
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PWHL Vancouver Goldeneyes took down Montréal Victoire in a 4-3 thriller
Fresh off a gutsy win against Seattle, the Vancouver Goldeneyes returned to the Pacific Coliseum to host the league-leading Montréal Victoire in front of a packed crowd of 10,946. Despite a late Hayley Scamurra hat trick, the Goldeneyes held on to win 4-3 in regulation, earning three valuable gold plan points in the race for the first overall draft pick.
As It Happened
On Tuesday night, the Goldeneyes celebrated the South Asian Heritage and South Asian communities across British Columbia and beyond. The Abbotsford Canucks’s Arshdeep Bains, a high school classmate of fellow Surrey native Jenn Gardiner, was here at the Rink on Renfrew for the ceremonial puck drop.
The “Souuuup!” and “Holy moly what a goalie!” chants broke out early in the first period as Kristen Campbell made a pad save against Catherine Dubois. Vancouver and Montréal both put up 14 shots through the first two periods, but it’s Vancouver with the two-goal lead heading into the dressing room. The Goldeneyes opened the scoring fifteen minutes into the game. Tereza Vanišová took advantage of a Montréal turnover and set up Sarah Nurse’s eighth goal of the season. A tripping penalty to Jessica DiGirolamo gave Vancouver a power play at 7:36 of the second period. Vancouver’s captain Ashton Bell converted it with a stunning snipe to double the lead.
The third period turned into an emotional roller coaster for the fans on both sides. Vanišová, already with two assists under her belt in this game, drove the net to get past Sandra Abstreiter, extending Vancouver’s lead to three. Less than four minutes later, The Goldeneyes added a fourth goal with Claire Thompson firing a mesmerizing one-timer. With the assist on this goal, Sophie Jaques became the first PWHL defender to reach 50 career points. Desperate for a goal, the Victoire pulled the goaltender with more than eight minutes left in the game. Hayley Scamurra put on a show to score three goals in just two minutes and forty-four seconds to stun the crowd. Suddenly, it’s a one-goal game. The fastest hat trick in the PWHL history made the final five minutes of the game a nerve-wrecking time for the home fans. “Everyone got their money’s worth, on the edge of the seat right till the end,” Vancouver Head Coach Brian Idalski commented at the post-game press conference. As the final horn went off at the Pacific Coliseum, Montréal ran out of time for an equalizer, receiving their first regulation loss in seventeen games. Kristen Campbell held on with 25 saves, becoming the third PWHL goalie with 30 career wins.
The victory marked Vancouver’s first win against the Montréal Victoire and the first time winning three games in a row.
Three Stars
★Tereza Vanišová (#13) Vancouver Goldeneyes (1G 2 A)
★★ Hayley Scamurra (#16) Montréal Victoire (3G)
★★★Ashton Bell (#21) Vancouver Goldeneyes (1G)
Up Next
The Victoire remain on the road for the final game of the regular season against the Seattle Torrent. The Goldeneyes will wrap up their inaugural season this Saturday as they host the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost on the Pride celebration.
Vancouver: Saturday, Apr. 25 vs. Minnesota at 4 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET
Montréal: Saturday, Apr. 25 at Seattle at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
PWHL VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES v MONTREAL VICTOIRE
All Photo Credit: Cindy Shi
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AEW Dynasty Delivers Chaos, Classics, and a Devilish Ending in Vancouver – Recap & Photos
AEW made its Dynasty debut in Vancouver on April 12, 2026, and the company didn’t waste the moment. From the opening bell to the final image of MJF sitting on his throne, the night was loaded and memorable.
The main event was the headline for a reason. Kenny Omega challenged MJF for the AEW World Championship in a match built on a simple story: “God” vs. “Devil.” Omega had the crowd fully behind him, and it looked like he finally did it after landing the One-Winged Angel. But the referee was down, and MJF did what MJF does. A low blow, the Dynamite Diamond Ring, and a brutal finish later, the champion escaped again. It was dramatic and messy, leaving the door wide open for what’s next.
Earlier in the night, Darby Allin earned that next shot. His match with Andrade El Ídolo was one of the night’s standouts. Allin took a beating, gave one back, and found a slick pin to seal it. After the match, he made it clear: he wants MJF, and he wants him now. That title match is set for Dynamite in Everett, just down the road from where Allin trained.
The show opened hot with The Young Bucks taking on Kazuchika Okada and Konosuke Takeshita. It was chaos in the best way: constant motion, near-falls, and a story bubbling under the surface. Miscommunication between Okada and Takeshita cost them in the end, and the Bucks capitalized. The bigger takeaway: that partnership looks finished.
Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay for the Continental Championship leaned more into grit. Ospreay came out firing but got caught chasing punishment instead of the win. Moxley absorbed everything, targeted Ospreay’s neck, and closed it out with a Death Rider. It wasn’t clean or pretty, but that’s Moxley.
The tag title match brought emotion. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage tried to grab one last run at gold against FTR. They came close, but interference and a well-timed Shatter Machine shut it down. Copeland left the match bloodied, leaving the crowd shaken up.
There were title changes too. Kevin Knight won a wild Casino Gauntlet to claim the vacant TNT Championship, outlasting a stacked field.
In the trios division, Kyle O’Reilly returned to join Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong, and The Conglomeration walked out as new champions after a feel-good win over The Dogs.
On the women’s side, Thekla retained the AEW Women’s World Title against Jamie Hayter in a hard-hitting match that didn’t end clean. A rope-assisted pin sealed it, which keeps that rivalry alive.
One of the more surprising highlights came from Chris Jericho vs. Ricochet. Jericho’s return had the crowd singing every word of “Judas,” but Ricochet spoiled the comeback with help from his crew and a flashy finish. It was smoother than expected and got the crowd going.
After the show, AEW CEO Tony Khan used the media scrum to set the next chapter. He confirmed Allin vs. MJF for Dynamite, plus Kevin Knight’s first TNT title defense against Claudio Castagnoli. There was bad news too: Gabe Kidd is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury suffered during the trios match.
Khan also addressed Ricochet’s recent social media controversy, saying he had a direct conversation with him and made it clear it crossed a line.
This Dynasty night didn’t try to do too much. It just stacked good matches, let the crowd react, and kept things moving. By the end, it felt like one of AEW’s cleanest pay-per-views in a while. Vancouver definitely got a strong first impression.
Catch AEW Dynamite Spring Break Thru LIVE on TBS and streaming on HBO Max this Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT from Everett, Washington.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
AEW DYNASTY IN VANCOUVER
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer