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HSBC 2025 SVNS Vancouver Day 3 – Recap & Photos
Fans at BC Place witnessed two electrifying and hard-fought men’s semi-finals. In the first matchup, Argentina narrowly defeated Spain in a tense battle, with Marcos Moneta scoring the game’s only try in the ninth minute. Spain, reduced to six players, struggled to recover, allowing Argentina to secure their place in Sunday’s final.
South Africa clinched their spot in the final after a thrilling contest against Fiji, packed with non-stop action. Fiji looked to have sealed the victory with a full-length team effort grounded by Jeremaia Matana. However, despite being a player down, the Blitzboks staged a dramatic comeback with a last-minute try from Selvyn Davids, earning them a place in the final showdown against Argentina.
Having reached numerous finals before, Argentina and South Africa took to the field for their last duel of the tournament, with referee Tevita Rokovereni officiating his first final. Argentina started strong, with Luciano Gonzalez scoring twice in quick succession and Tobias Wade adding a third try. Though South Africa responded with two tries of their own, it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. Argentina held their defensive line, securing their second consecutive gold of the Series and their fourth overall in Vancouver.
Winning Captain Santiago Mare shared his thoughts after the celebrations: “We are very happy and really proud of the team for all the effort they put in. To be here, to be in a position to be in another final and win in a very tough game again against a great rival like South Africa, we are very happy and very proud.”
“We did the small things well, we have a very good defence and that was what we did well on the field and it was our difference. Our pressure and our patience showed we trusted in our system.”
Read the Day 3 Women’s Report.
The women’s semi-finals delivered unforgettable moments, including Japan’s historic first-ever Cup semi-final appearance against Fiji. Though they couldn’t advance further, the Sakura Sevens put up a brave fight against the dominant Fijians, who scored four tries to book their third Cup final spot.
Meanwhile, the Black Ferns Sevens and Australia faced off once again, with New Zealand emerging victorious in a six-try spectacle. Stacey Waaka’s hat trick helped secure their fourth consecutive final appearance in this Series and their 50th overall.
The grand finale saw Fiji take on New Zealand, marking their first-ever encounter in a Cup final on the SVNS Series. Chasing their first win against the Black Ferns Sevens—who have never lost at BC Place—Fiji faced a formidable challenge.
New Zealand wasted no time, as Risi Pouri-Lane scored the opening try in the first minute. By halftime, the Olympic Champions had surged ahead 22-0. Fiji responded in the eleventh minute with a try from Sesenieli Donu, but New Zealand maintained their dominance, closing out the match 41-7 and claiming their 39th title.
New Zealand’s Captain Sarah Hirini reflected on their achievement: “It’s amazing, we love coming here, we love the Canadian people and we’re really proud to get another win here.
“We played well as a team, we were pushed in some games but I think we just stuck to what we know and stuck to our plan. I’m just really proud of the efforts of the girls.”
Elsewhere, Spain’s men secured their second consecutive bronze medal in the Series with a 22-7 victory over Fiji, while Australia’s women ended Japan’s historic run with a 26-12 triumph.
BC Place kept the energy alive throughout the weekend. Though Canada couldn’t claim the title, they ended on a high note with a victory over the USA, backed by the roar of the home crowd. Reflecting on the weekend, Canada’s Olivia Apps shared: “It was a really fun weekend. We were disappointed we couldn’t get the result that we wanted but I think that that last game showcased a lot of this group’s talent and really what we’re capable of.
“We’re looking forward to building to Hong Kong and Singapore and we really hope we can come back and win Vancouver next year!”
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 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
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Canada’s Best Skaters Take to the Ice for the Vancouver Stop of Stars on Ice
The best skaters that Canada has to offer took to the ice at Rogers Arena for the Vancouver stop of 2026 edition of Stars on Ice Canada. The tour, which started in Halifax, NS and has been making its way West, comes as many of the stars competed at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, just over three months ago. The skaters headlining the tour include the 2026 Olympic Ice Dance Bronze Medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, along with Team Canada members, Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, and Madeline Schizas. The audience also had the opportunity to see the 2018 Olympic Bronze Medallist Kaetlyn Osmond, Canadian legend Elvis Stojko, 2-time Canadian champion Roman Sadovsky, and another 2-timer Canadian champion Keegan Messing. Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac, the 2026 Ice Dance Canadian Championship bronze medallists, were special guests for the Vancouver stop.
The first half of the show started with a group number, that served as a sample of what the night promised to offer. Skating to “Fearless” by Tommee Profitt, Sam Tinnesz, and Beacon Light, the number showcased the skater’s abilities to skate as a group and to start the show on an electrifying note.
This was followed by the individual numbers. First up, was Roman Sadovsky skating to “Standing Next to You” by Jung Kook. Roman, who won the Canadian championship in 2020 and 2025 and just barely missed the Olympic team in 2026, gave a cheeky and passionate skate that definitely brought the audience’s mood up. It is always a pleasure watching Roman skate, not only does he have the jumps and spins but his skating skills are some of the best.
Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud were up next, skating to “Be Italian” by Fergie, which feels very appropriate considering the Olympics were in Italy. The pair just won the bronze medal at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championship which took place in Prague, Czech Republic. Personally, I can’t wait to see how far these two go in their career.
Madeline Schizas was next to skate. Skating to “Cosmic Love” by Florence + the Machine, Maddie connected with the audience with an unforgettable skate. Maddie is a 4-time Canadian champion, and there still aren’t any signs that she plans on slowing down.
Next, Kaetlyn Osmond and Elvis Stojko gave a brief speech to honour Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. A montage was shown of some of the most memorable programs Piper and Paul have done in their more than 20 years skating together, before introducing them to skate a shortened version of their fan-favourite and Olympic free dance “Vincent”. Seeing live this program, even in its shortened version, was truly something memorable.
Keegan Messing, who is always a fan-favourite because of the energy that he gives while skating, chose “I’m Still Standing” by Taron Egerton from the movie Rocketman for an energetic first individual skate.
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps were up next, skating to “Let’s Twist Again” by Chubby Checker. Deanna made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics by becoming the oldest woman to compete in figure skating in almost 100 years, showing that sometimes the limit is truly the sky.
Kaetlyn Osmond stepped on to the ice to skate to “In the Air Tonight” by Judith Hill. Kaetlyn is one of the most successful Canadian skaters of all time, having won three Canadian championships, becoming a World Champion in 2018 and winning an Olympic Bronze Medal in 2018.
Piper and Paul came back to the ice to skate “Supermodel (You Better Work)” by RuPaul, which is also a shortened version of their 2025-2026 rhythm dance. There are very few things that are more entertaining to watch than two ice dancers skating to RuPaul.
After them, Elvis Stojko stepped onto to the ice. Clad in a blue boxer robe, he skated to “Mr Electric Blue” by Benson Boone. A Canadian skating legend, he is a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympic Silver Medallist, and seven-time Canadian champion. He has participated with Stars On Ice since 2016.
Then, a group number to close out the first half of the show. Performing to two different versions of “Too Darn Hot”, the ladies performed to the version by Holly Cole while the men performed to Anthony Strong’s version. It was a very fun number, and personally I was on the ladies’ side.
After intermission, the men skated a group number to “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars. It is always fun seeing the men just have the time of their lives. And we got to see Paul do an Axel, who knew he is a leftie?
Next, special guests Marie-Jade Lauriault and Romain Le Gac skated to “Everybody Everybody” by Black Box. They are skating in all three BC stops of the Stars On Ice tour, with Victoria being the next show.
Back to ice, Maddie skated to the very danceable song “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” by RAYE. In a very fun and cheeky moment, Trennt came out at the end of her performance with a giant inflatable ring, before carrying Maddie off the ice.
Next were Lia, Piper and Maddie for an all-girl number. Skating to “Golden” by Huntri/x from the extremely popular movie KPop Demon Hunters. The number is meant to resemble the performance as seen in the movie, including the gold and white outfits and choreography. The ladies definitely nailed the moves.
Roman came back to the ice for a very emotional performance to Chris Mann’s version of “Fly Me to the Moon”. This version really suited Roman’s skating style, and really connected with the audience. Skating to “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran, Lia and Trennt came back to the ice for an emotional and touching performance.
For her second individual number, Kaetlyn skated to “Dancing in the Dark” by Lucy Dacus. In some ways, it showcased the resilience skaters have as she fell on a double Axel (one of the jumps that exist in figure skating) before attempting another one as her next jump and landing it beautifully.
Elvis did his second number to “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed. The heavy metal cover version serves as a background to Elvis’ powerful skating. At age 54, it is pretty amazing to see him still skate with this amount of passion and skill.
For the last individual number, Piper and Paul came back for the third time to skate to “Royals” by Lorde. It just felt like such a Piper and Paul program, dressed in costumes that you may as well find in Queen Marie Antoinette’s court.
To close out the show, all the skaters came out in black costumes with a colourful pixelated print to skate to “Life in Color” by OneRepublic. It was the perfect upbeat song to end the night. It is always great to see the best skaters from Canada, Stars On Ice is an amazing experience for fans across the country.
The Stars On Ice Canada 2026 tour has three more stops before saying goodbye to this year’s edition.
14/5 – Save-On-Foods Memorial Center – Victoria, BC
16/5 – Chilliwack Coliseum – Chilliwack, BC
19/5 – TD Coliseum – Hamilton, ON
Head to their website for all the information.
Also, this year’s 2026 Skate Canada International is scheduled for October 30 – November 1, 2026, at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC. This is an excellent opportunity to see the best skaters from all over the world. Head over to Skate Canada’s website for more information.
Click the link to our Facebook page for the full gallery of the show!
Words: Elena Del Rivero
Photos: Cindy Shi