Dubai Sevens takeaways: The new GOAT, Fiji are back, Canada shock

Australia’s Maddison Levi and Spain’s Pol Pla were among the standouts during the season-opening HSBC SVNS Series event in Dubai. The Aussies claimed their fifth Dubai Sevens crown in a row with a win over New Zealand, while Spain fell heartbreaking short of title glory.

The Aussies came up against familiar foe New Zealand in the women’s Cup Final, with both teams firing some shots during another epic decider between the two rivals. New Zealand took the lead with about four minutes left but there was some Levi brilliance that would change that.

They won 28-24.

In the men’s decider, Fiji got the better of a valiant Spanish outfit who should still be supremely proud of their efforts. Spain beat New Zealand twice on their way to their first-ever Cup Final, but Fiji might just be back to their best as their own performances showed.

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Fiji brought an end to their own title drought with a 19-5 win. There’s plenty to look back on from the weekend, but here are four talking points from the HSBC SVNS Series event at the Dubai Sevens.

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There has never been a sevens superstar quite like Maddison Levi. While acknowledging the greats that have paved the way for the young star to shine, those that include New Zealand’s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Australia’s Charlotte Caslick, Levi is in a class of her own.

At last month’s World Rugby Awards in Monaco, Levi was named the Women’s Sevens Player of the Year for the first time. While calling the Australian the Greatest of All Time (or GOAT) in women’s sevens might then by a bit rash, it’s not like it’s out of the question either.

Levi set the tone on the HSBC SVNS Series last season with 69 tries across the eight-event season. The powerful winger carried that record-breaking form into the Paris Games in July, where she once again made history with a best-ever 14 tries in a single Olympics.

Australia wrapped up the overall SVNS Series title with a triumph over France at Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitano, and while they surprisingly fell short of an Olympic medal at Stade de France, no one should dispute Levi being crowned the world’s best after a sensational season.

There has only been one event so far during the new season but Levi already appears to be a firm favourite to claim that award back-to-back. The 22-year-old scored 15 tries at the Dubai Sevens, which is the most by any woman at a single SVNS Series tournament ever.

Levi’s crowning moment was a long-range intercept try in the Cup Final against New Zealand, with that score putting the Aussies in front with only a couple of minutes left. Australia went on to win their fifth Dubai Sevens title in a row.

As Levi continues to break records and rewrite history, there’s absolutely no doubt who the best player in women’s sevens is at the moment. This is greatness from Maddison Levi, who could very well be considered the ‘GOAT’ in the not-too-distant future.

Fiji are back to their best

Fiji have traditionally always been one of the best teams in men’s sevens. With legends like Waisale Serevi, Osea Kolinisau and Jerry Tuwai leading the way, the Fijians had both a long and proud history as one of the heavyweights in rugby union’s shorter format.

That’s what made last season so shocking.

Fiji weren’t just off the pace, they were disappointing. They failed to fire in the way that many expected and hoped from the Pacific Islanders, who ended up missing the quarter-finals in Singapore as one of their unforgettably poor moments from the season that was.

But, as the world watched on, the two-time defending Olympic champions stood tall with an exciting run to the gold medal match at the Paris Games. They ended up losing to Antoine Dupont’s France in the big game, but there was a sense that maybe, just maybe, Fiji were back.

Any doubts that Fiji are back up there with the best in men’s sevens were quickly put to rest over the weekend as they triumphed in the title decider against Spain. They had been the Spaniards in pool play before, and they also got the better of the USA 42-20 and New Zealand 21-12.

Viwa Naduvalo was the hero for Fiji in their quarter-final with a 15th-minute try which saw them knock reigning SVNS Series champions France out of title contention. They then made a statement in the semis with a 43-21 demolition of last season’s League Winners Argentina.

That win over Argentina was particularly impressive.

Even if another side takes out the title in Cape Town, the point still stands that Fiji are well and truly back. There’s a long season ahead, and without jinxing anything, it wouldn’t be at all a surprise to see them at least win one more Cup Final from the next six events.

The biggest shock of the weekend was Canada, not Spain

Australia’s Faith Nathan told this writer at the Rugby Australia Awards in October that Canada were “probably the strongest team” in women’s sevens. The Canadians had stunned Australia on their way to a memorable silver medal at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

There’s a sense of pressure and expectation that comes with that success going into a new SVNS Series season. Even as coach Jocelyn Barrieau put it, “To say near the top, we need to solidify our foundations and keep the program successful.”

While Barrieau’s comments referred to a bigger-picture focus ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, Canada were still expected to compete in Dubai. But instead, the Maples were beaten 40-5 by Japan and 38-5 against New Zealand as they finished third in their pool.

Canada had a chance to make amends but would have to do it the hard way against Australia in the quarters. In a heavyweight bout between two top fighters, Canada barely threw a punch in a contest that can be compared to Mike Tyson’s hefty loss to Jake Paul.

Australia won 39-nil.

The Canadians went on to finish eighth after losing to Japan for a second time that weekend.

It’s important to note that this is a young team that were missing some big name stars. There was no Olivia Apps or Charity Williams, with only four Olympic silver medallists actually named to compete at the Dubai Sevens.

But that doesn’t mean this wasn’t a shock.

Spain making the Cup Final in the men’s draw was history, and sure it was a shock, but that’s a result that’s been brewing for quite some time.

It’s been a long time coming for Espana

Spain showed genuine promise and growth during the 2023/24 season. They made the semi-finals for the first time after knocking off Fiji in the Los Angeles quarter-finals, and they were otherwise impressive during some other solid performances on the Series.

But for the Spaniards to start the new season with not just one but two wins over New Zealand, that was an almighty surprise. They’re the type of results that would’ve once been deemed unfathomable, but just go to show how much more competitive SVNS is now.

Pol Pla was one of the best players across the weekend – both men and women – as the captain led by example. Pla scored his 100^th SVNS Series try in the 19-14 semi-final win over New Zealand, with the 31-year-old’s swan dive showcasing the emotion of that moment.

Pla also pulled off an incredible try-saving tackle in the quarter-final win over Great Britain, with Anton Legorburu Anso scoring the match-winner in the 15^th minute after an incredible brain fade from the Brits at an attacking lineout.

It was definitely an overachievement from Spain to reach a Cup Final for the first time, but it’s been a long time coming. With strong performances on the Series last season, especially in the second half of that campaign, they looked like a team that could compete.

With Pla, Francisco Conscullela, Jeremy Trevithick and more all suiting up as part of this very talented roster it’s entirely possible that Spain can continue to perform near this level during the season ahead. But only time will tell heading into Cape Town and beyond.