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HSBC 2025 SVNS Vancouver Day 2 – Recap & Photos
Argentina, Fiji, New Zealand, and South Africa have advanced to the semi-finals, bringing them one step closer to claiming gold in Vancouver.
Fiji secured a dramatic 26-21 extra-time victory over Spain, with Filipe Sauturaga scoring the decisive try. Their momentum carried into the evening as they delivered an impressive performance against Great Britain.
Spain rebounded from their loss to Fiji with a fast-paced, open match against New Zealand, ultimately winning in extra time. This victory earned them a place in Sunday’s semi-final against Argentina.
Spain’s rising star, Jeremy Trevithink, shared his excitement after the win: “We’re on top of the world right now! We’re very happy.
“I think it’s important for us now to switch off on what we’ve done today and focus on recovery and what we have to do tomorrow.”
Argentina remains unbeaten after four consecutive wins, including an impressive double victory over France on Saturday, securing their spot in the semi-finals.
South Africa bounced back from an opening extra-time loss to Australia with a dominant performance in the men’s quarter-finals, securing the last semi-final slot with a commanding win over the same opponents.
Japan and the USA met for the first time ever in the Cup stages, and their clash did not disappoint. The Sakura Sevens made history in a thrilling extra-time battle, clinching a hard-fought 22-17 victory—marking their first-ever quarter-final win. This triumph sets up a semi-final rematch against Fiji, a team they previously defeated on the opening day of HSBC SVNS Vancouver.
After the historic win, Marin Kajiki expressed his excitement: “I’m really excited to be in the last four teams. Playing two matches on the final day of the tournament is a first for Japan.
“We have played Fiji already, and we feel we are ready to play in our style tomorrow.
“We take it game by game and hopefully we will finish in the best place that we can.”
Australia recovered from a Friday night defeat to Brazil with a dominant 35-14 victory over host nation Canada in the final pool stage match. They carried this momentum into their quarter-final clash against Great Britain, securing a 28-14 win and extending their remarkable Cup quarter-final streak to 13 consecutive victories.
Fiji experienced mixed results on day two. They suffered a narrow 24-21 loss to Great Britain in their final Pool C match but responded emphatically in the quarter-finals with a commanding 46-0 win over Brazil. The match was a showcase of attacking brilliance, featuring eight tries, with standout performances from Sesenieli Donu and Mere Vocevoce, who each crossed the line twice.
In the final match of the night, host nation Canada saw their quarter-final hopes dashed as New Zealand powered to a 34-12 victory. Earlier, the Black Ferns Sevens dominated their final pool match, defeating the USA 37-0. With the competition intensifying, anticipation is building for an electrifying final day of HSBC SVNS Vancouver at BC Place.
Read the Day 2 Women’s Report.
Finals day kicks off at 10:50 AM (GMT-8) on Sunday, with the semi-finals scheduled for 12:30 PM. The men’s and women’s finals will take place at 5:05 PM and 5:41 PM, respectively.
Following the format established in Perth, the women’s final will once again serve as the tournament’s grand finale, taking centre stage on Sunday evening and closing out HSBC SVNS Vancouver in style.
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 Boost Playoff Hopes with Victory Over Calgary Wild
Vancouver Rise FC have ended their season on a high note and improved their chances of
reaching the playoffs after defeating Calgary Wild FC 3-2 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC. The Rise delivered under pressure thanks to a beautiful goal from Mia Pante as well as a much-needed second-half strike from Jessica DeFilippo.
The Rise marked the scoresheet twice in the first half, leading the Wild 2 to nil at the 35-minute mark after Alex Lamontagne connected with Pante who cleared the goalkeeper and calmly hit the back of the net.
Calgary responded before halftime, however, as Josie Aulicino found the net with a strike from outside the penalty area, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and keeping halting what at times looked like a runaway train.
Calgary largely dominated the second half, forcing Vancouver onto their back feet. Vancouver was pinned in their own zone, unwillingly defending their lead as Calgary took shot after shot on goal. A quiet crowd got to their feet for their Captain Shannon Woeller who made her first appearance of the season in the 88-minute mark, leaving the bench to steady the team in the final few minutes.
Despite the early charge, Vancouver managed to record the win and take the points, if in a
somewhat anxiety-filled final 45. The three points keep the Rise in the playoff conversation, with the final result to be decided Monday as Halifax faces off against AFC Toronto.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER RISE FC v CALGARY WILD FC
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin
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WWE Monday Night Raw Keeps the Momentum Rolling in Ottawa
WWE Monday Night Raw rolled into Ottawa on August 24 with plenty of moving pieces and a clear focus on building toward the next major chapters for both the men’s and women’s divisions. From LA Knight’s confrontation with Roman Reigns to Stephanie Vaquer’s return, a World Heavyweight Championship tournament, and a heated Oba Femi-Bron Breakker contract signing, the episode packed a lot into three hours without losing sight of its bigger stories.
This was a busy, storyline-heavy episode built almost entirely around momentum heading toward Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. LA Knight opened the show by calling out World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, only for Solo Sikoa to interrupt and thank Knight for backing him up the previous week, before the Usos showed up and set a tag match in motion for later in the night. That opening angle paid off with a hard-hitting brawl, and the show closed with Knight, Sikoa, and both Usos left laid out while returning duo Royce Keys and OTM stood tall over the wreckage.
In the ring, the standout was Stephanie Vaquer‘s return match against Roxanne Perez, which saw Judgment Day interference from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez met by a counter from Becky Lynch. Vaquer sealed the win by dodging a moonsault and connecting with a butterfly backbreaker into a lungblower combo, and the post-match staredown with Lynch added a nice extra layer of tension. It fed directly into the next chapter of her title chase, with Vaquer told backstage that she’ll get her shot at Liv Morgan‘s Women’s World Championship on the September 7 RAW.
The tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship shot also moved forward, with Penta defeating LA Parka and Rey Fenix defeating Dragon Lee to set up a Penta-vs-Fenix final. The Penta/Parka match got a nice reaction, as Parka survived a Penta Driver and answered with a top-rope Spanish Fly before Penta eventually got the win.
The other big story beat was the contract signing for Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker. Breakker accused Femi of taking the spot he used to hold and vowed to make him live in his shadow, while Femi shot back that Breakker could’ve been the future of WWE in a different era, just not while he’s around. The segment boiled over into a physical confrontation, with Breakker jumping Femi before Austin Theory got involved, and Femi eventually powering back to put Theory through a table.
Overall, this felt like a well-paced go-home-style episode even though the pay-per-view is still two weeks out: hot angles up top and at the close, a satisfying tournament advancement, and a women’s division storyline that’s clearly building toward something bigger
Check out our favourite photos of both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown below or head to our Facebook page for the full galleries: Raw – Smackdown
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport