The two sides that have dominated the HSBC SVNS Series so far appear locked on to another final appearance in Bordeaux – but their respective semi-final opponents Canada and USA will want to have their say on Sunday.
And the North American sides’ analysts have plenty to work on after neither New Zealand and Australia were entirely convincing in their quarter-final wins over Japan and Spain.
Meanwhile, the celebrations started early for Spain despite their quarter-final loss to Australia. Their run to the last eight in Bordeaux ensured they will step up from HSBC SVNS 2 to the main HSBC SVNS Series next season.
Quarter-finals: Valladolid finalists USA build a wall, as Australia grit their way to last four
A physical USA side built an unbreakable defensive wall in their quarter-final against France, and hit the home side twice on the counter through Sammy Sullivan and Ariana Ramsey to book a semi-final slot with a 12-0 win.
USA had made sure of top spot in Pool C with an impressive 33-22 over neighbours and fellow quarter-final qualifiers Canada – Kristi Kirshe scoring two of USA’s five tries, while Charity Williams hit back with two for Canada.
“We’ve been growing all year… but we knew this weekend was going to feel hard, [after] two back-to-back tournaments,” Kirshe said afterwards, “so coming out yesterday we were lucky to come out with two wins but I don’t think we played the type of rugby that we know we can play.
“Coming in today, it was really just about delivering a performance that we can be proud of and elevating from yesterday and I think we did that. Now it’s about elevating as we go through each of the next games.”
A first-half hat-trick for Savannah Bauder set Olympic silver-medallists Canada marching into the semi-finals on sevens rugby’s return to France for the first time since 2024. Carmen Izyk and Pamphinette Buisa added tries in the second-half as they beat Fiji 29-7.
But their delight at reaching the last four was tempered by injury to Chloe Daniels.
Late tries from Reapi Ulunisau – her second of the match – and all-time leading points-scorer Ana Maria Naimasi had helped Fiji claim the second quarter-final berth from Pool B with a comeback 28-24 win over a battling Brazil. The remarkable Thalia Costa got a double for the South American side – but they will return to HSBC SVNS 2 next season.
Jorja Miller added another two tries to her tally – taking her level with Michaela Brake’s New Zealand season record of 53 – as the Black Ferns Sevens beat Japan 35-22.
Miller wasn’t impressed with her side’s performance in the last eight. “[It was] not how we wanted to end the game,” she told Rugbypass. “We know we need to be stronger for the full 14 minutes.”
Even without Stacey Waaka, who has been ruled out for the rest of the Bordeaux tournament, New Zealand had been far too good for France, scoring six tries in the first 10 minutes of the match while keeping Les Bleues firmly trapped in their own half – until Marie-Aurelie Castel broke free to give the Stade Atlantique crowd something to cheer, which they did with gusto. It ended 38-7.
It took Australia a surprising 11 minutes to break the deadlock against a determined and gutsy Spain, but late tries from Heidi Dennis and Kahli Henwood were good enough to claim a hard-fought and gritty 14-0 result and extend their winning run over the Spanish to 19-0
Australia had wrapped up a perfect pool phase with a clinical, if not always entirely straightforward, five-try 33-7 win over a Japan side that had already qualified for the quarter-finals.
Spain had confirmed top-eight qualification, and ended Great Britain’s hopes of being on the main HSBC SVNS Series next season, with a well-worked 29-10 win in the opening women’s competition match on day two in Bordeaux.
Maria Garcia, Silvia Morales, Marta Cantabrana, and Abril Camacho Ruiz all scored for Spain. Katie Shillaker and Heather Cowell – in her final tournament before she retires from rugby – both touched down for Great Britain.
Play-offs: Determined Great Britain deserve Brazil win
Determined defence and incisive counter-attack handed Great Britain a 19-7 win over Brazil. Katie Shillaker scored twice to record just their second win of the season and set up a ninth-place final against Argentina.
The South Americans beat South Africa for the second time on day two, doubling down on their 17-5 Pool A win with a 22-17 victory.