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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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NSL Vancouver Rise FC Fall 3-1 to Ottawa Rapid FC Despite Strong Start at Swangard Stadium
Vancouver Rise FC controlled long stretches of play on a hot Sunday afternoon at Swangard Stadium, but Ottawa Rapid FC capitalized on their chances to claim a 3-1 victory.
The home side came out flying and nearly opened the scoring inside two minutes. Jessica De Filippo drove into the penalty area and forced a deflection behind for a corner before creating two more dangerous opportunities in the opening 10 minutes. One effort sailed just over the crossbar after a clever pass from Anaïs Oularbi, while another chance narrowly missed after a low cross from Anna Bout flashed across the face of goal.
De Filippo continued to be Vancouver‘s biggest threat throughout the first half. In the 16th minute, she slipped past two defenders for a one-on-one opportunity, but Ottawa goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais anticipated the attempted chip and made the save.
Vancouver maintained the pressure, with Latifah Abdu nearly breaking the deadlock midway through the half after a loose ball fell kindly inside the box. Her volley, though, drifted just over the bar.
Despite spending much of the opening half defending, Ottawa struck first against the run of play in the 28th minute. Min-A Lee found space outside the area and beat goalkeeper Jessica Wulf with a long-range effort to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Rise FC continued pushing for an equalizer. Abdu came close again in the 40th minute after Camila Reyes played her through on goal, but Dagenais was equal to the shot.
The breakthrough finally came just before halftime. After Vancouver won possession inside Ottawa‘s penalty area, De Filippo reacted quickest to a loose ball and curled a composed finish into the top corner in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into the break level at 1-1.
Vancouver carried that momentum into the second half, controlling possession early after the restart. Ottawa, however, struck again on the counterattack just five minutes into the half. Johanne Fridlund released D.B. Pridham behind the defence, and the striker calmly finished to restore the visitors’ advantage.
Wulf kept Vancouver within striking distance with an excellent save from distance near the hour mark, and substitute Jaime Perrault provided an immediate spark after entering the match. The midfielder won possession high up the pitch and delivered several dangerous crosses as Rise FC searched for another equalizer.
The turning point came in the 72nd minute when Kennedy Faulknor was ruled to have fouled Pridham inside the penalty area. The defender was shown a red card, leaving Vancouver down to 10 players, and Pridham converted the resulting penalty to extend Ottawa‘s lead to 3-1.
Rise FC refused to give up. Maithé López nearly set up Abdu for a quick response, and Vancouver continued pressing late in the match, with Abdu, López and Perrault all forcing Ottawa‘s defence into key blocks. The visitors held firm through the closing stages to secure all three points.
The loss leaves Rise FC looking to bounce back on Thursday, June 18, when they travel to face Halifax Tides FC. Vancouver returns to Swangard Stadium on Sunday, June 28, for a home matchup against AFC Toronto.
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER RISE FC v OTTAWA RAPID FC
All Photo Credit: Aly Mae
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NSL Vancouver Rise FC Hold Off AFC Toronto for Second Straight Win at Swangard Stadium
In front of a lively crowd at Swangard Stadium, Vancouver Rise FC continued their strong run of form on Saturday with a 2-1 win over AFC Toronto.
The victory marked back-to-back wins for Vancouver, who looked sharp from the opening whistle and controlled long stretches of the match with confident passing and quick movement through midfield.
Rise FC wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. In the 11th minute, Tori Tumeth pushed a ball forward down the right side that Toronto failed to properly clear. The loose ball fell kindly to Latifah Abdu near the edge of the box, and the forward made no mistake, blasting her finish into the roof of the net to give Vancouver an early 1-0 lead.
The home side kept pressing. Mia Pante nearly helped double the advantage after a strong run down the left flank saw her beat a defender before cutting a pass back into the middle for Jessica De Filippo, though the chance slipped away when the delivery arrived just behind the striker.
Vancouver’s attacking pressure eventually paid off again midway through the first half. A slick passing sequence between Camila Reyes and De Filippo opened space for Abdu inside the penalty area, where she was brought down for a spot kick. Captain Quinn stepped up in the 33rd minute and calmly buried the penalty, sending Toronto goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak the wrong direction to make it 2-0.
Abdu nearly added another moments later after chasing down a lofted ball into the box, but her chipped effort drifted over the crossbar.
Toronto came out with more urgency after halftime and nearly cut into the deficit early in the second half. Kaylee Hunter forced Jessica Wulf into a strong save before Victoria Pickett struck the post on the rebound, allowing Vancouver to escape the sequence still holding a two-goal cushion.
Rise FC responded by settling back into possession and continuing to dictate play. De Filippo came close to extending the lead after Abdu slipped her through on goal, but the forward’s tight-angle shot missed the target after rounding the goalkeeper.
As the match entered its closing stages, Toronto pushed hard for a comeback. Vancouver’s defence stood firm through a series of late chances, throwing bodies in front of shots and protecting the box during a frantic final stretch.
Toronto eventually found a late consolation goal in stoppage time through Cloey Uddenberg, but the comeback attempt arrived too late as Rise FC closed out the 2-1 result.
Despite Toronto finishing with more shots overall, Vancouver controlled possession for much of the afternoon and looked composed through most phases of the match.
Rise FC return to action on May 30 when they travel to Montreal to face Roses FC. The club returns home to Swangard Stadium on June 14 for a matchup against Ottawa Rapid FC.
Check out our favourite photos of the match below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
NSL VANCOUVER RISE FC v AFC TORONTO
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer