Sports
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
