Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
26 - 22
FT
InternationalFijiFranceSamoaUSA

Pacific islanders dominate Hong Kong 7s 'dream team'

Tofatu Solia

Pacific island players dominated the HSBC Hong Kong Sevens ‘Dream Team’ after a historic weekend in the code’s most famous tournament.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fiji created history by securing a fifth consecutive title in Hong Kong with a 21-7 victory over France in the Cup final at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, while USA claimed third place to maintain their lead in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series standings with three rounds remaining.

Unsurprisingly Fiji had two players in the dream team: Meli Derenalagi and Jerry Tuwai, while Samoa’s Tofatu Solia and Johnny Vaili made the cut.

France also boasted a pair in the seven: Gabin Villiere and Tavite Veredamu; while rugby’s fastest man, Carlin Isles, was the lone American in the team.

Fiji created history by securing a fifth consecutive title in Hong Kong with a 21-7 victory over France in the Cup final at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, while USA claimed third place to maintain their lead in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series standings with three rounds remaining.

Over the course of three scintillating days of action played out in front of over 100,000 fans at the Hong Kong Stadium, Gareth Baber’s side enthralled the crowd as they achieved something that no other nation has ever done.

With just three full rounds to go on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, the tournament victory means that Fiji jump ahead of New Zealand in the world series standings and sit in second.

ADVERTISEMENT

The USA are on top with 130 points while South Africa are fourth on 99 points, nine ahead of their chasers England in fifth.

At the end of all ten rounds of this year’s world series, the top four teams will qualify their places at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Japan are the only side currently qualified due to automatic qualification as the host nation.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 1

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Newcastle DoR Steve Diamond to learn fate Friday

2

Paul Gustard's club future back on table after Prem buyout fails

3

Ben Healy one of 3 fly-halves locked down by Edinburgh in one swoop

4

Frontrunner to replace Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt firms up as contender says 'No'

5

'I could see how much it meant to my dad, me playing for Wales, rather than England'

6

Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley makes decision on future

7

All Blacks-beating world record holder calls it quits after 18 years

8

Gatland: 'Probably the wrong player has gone on as a replacement'

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

LONG READ

Will wounded Carbery come back to haunt former side Munster?

Discarded by Munster and Ireland, Joey Carbery is flourishing again with Bordeaux.

LONG READ

Despite the Croke Park horror show, Marcus Smith shouldn't be discounted from Lions conversation

Chris Robshaw believes the superstar England fly-half shouldn't be discarded on the whim of a Dublin shellacking

LONG READ

Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

The Queensland Reds are the outstanding Australian franchise so it would be a risk to move the entire coaching team to the Wallabies

Comments on RugbyPass

A
Ardy 35 minutes ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Nick, i haven’t checked that stat, but did look up to round 8, re losses to non-Aussie teams. There have been 6 losses, 5 to NZ teams and 1 to MP. From my shakey memory, several were in the last qtr., there was also the Brumbies game where they nearly lost it to Highlanders around the 80 mark. I don’t want to sound like OJ, as the teams have improved dramatically, but I just think a bit more aerobic fitness would help.

34 Go to comments
N
NB 53 minutes ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I don’t mind replying to him because I’m confident I can keep the tone light for the most part, but quite often it becomes a slanging match outside that, with some well-embedded enmities with other posters!

34 Go to comments
N
NB 55 minutes ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

It’s become a premium period in the game what with 7-1 benches Ardy!


Geoff Parling in his recent interview with me thought it was the area in which the Aussie sides had improved the most, and I’d guess knowing Geoff that is based on solid facts.


So maybe the Reds-Chiefs final Q was not typical? The Aussie sides are 7-0 in games against non-Aussie opponents finishing in less than a one score victory, which implies for the most part they are hanging tough…

34 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Nick, I have been somewhat concerned that our SR sides are not fit enough. It has been obvious to me that we are falling away in the last qtr. Reds v Chiefs was a case in point.

34 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I have noticed this NB and agree. But if we keep biting, he’ll keep baiting the hook.

The adage in the UK, when I was growing up was to ignore people with very bad manners.

I thought the Eddie incident would have shut him up, but it's not obvious so far.

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Why French rugby would be poorer if Ronan O'Gara leaves La Rochelle

Ireland would have been expecting NZ to improve from 2022 - how could they not? - having had the wake-up call. Also they added Schmidt and Ryan to their staff and Joe is well-known for his research of opponents. It didn’t look like they had prepped for Ireland at all in 2022!

35 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I reckon the players are there for the most part Ardy. ~There isn’t a huge amount of depth as yet, but the top guys are quality. If Schmidt can stay involved, even at a distance, it will help the chances of the new guy, esp if he shares some of the same philosophies…

34 Go to comments
d
d 1 hour ago
Barrett vs McKenzie: Why Dan Carter would ‘hate to be Scott Robertson’

agree. In the second half of the Blues vs Hurricanes match we saw BB put on a dare I say Carter-like display of vision and tactical kicking accuracy that I was beginning to think neither BB nor DMac possessed. However his first half was typically sloppy. BB to start, DMac as a “super sub”. but if WJ is at fullback, who replaces Reece who played himself out of the ABs last time he wore black?

2 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Def important to keep Joe involved, and from what I know he is willing to come back into the fold before 2027. So you only need a guy he trusts to keep developing the team from late 2025 for the next 18 months.

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I reckon they’ll paint themselves into a corner if Les is appointed as head coach DM. He can’t take his staff with him and from what I understand, he doesn’t do a lot of the on-field coaching himself anymore.


So who would actually be coaching the WBs, esp with the Lord and poss Mike Cron leaving? It only leaves Geoff Parling and Eoin Toolan!


It might work with him as a p/t DoR and a f/t senior coach alongside.

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Hi Jim.


I’d def like to see more of HMP, for mine he’s got teh highest ceiling of any 10 in Aussie.


I always remember Graham Henry telling me, ‘however much you love the gameplan, if the weather changes, you have to be prepared to abandon it.’ I reckon that applied to the Reds last weekend too.


It was like that at Irish too. They were hell-bent on playing their game-plan, come what may!

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I think the main problem is how he tends to railroad threads on unrelated topics towards his own pet subject.


I just wish he’d show a bit more willingness to engage on matters outside it!

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

He’s spitting with even more fury right now, but there’s not a lot of point in going down the same old roads with him all the time - and often on completely unrelated threads! If he stuck to actual rugby it might be diff - but it isn’t.

34 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

I am beginning to feel that is what should happen Jon.


Although I do feel Les K is the outstanding Aussie candidate for the job, it would be hard for him to keep a foot in both camps at once, and it would wreck the Reds if he took his team with him to the WB.


So I’d be more inclined to appoint a top tracksuit coach in anticipation of Joe S. becoming involved again before 2027. I can’t see Les doing so much of the tracksuit work now, so Aussie needs a bloke who can coach attack and D to a high standard with the Lord leaving in November.

34 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Just one change in Hurricanes team to play Crusaders

Canes would have had Godfrey, no? There won’t be as much threat with Hohepa starting, you’ll need to be ahead when the introduce Harkin. I see Aumua as being your biggest weakness, but lets see how he goes, he’s got the potential to be your biggest threat as well. Love has been training at 10 apparently.

5 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
How Scott Barrett performs in Super Rugby Pacific is not a big deal

Other players? Worse at what? Who are you disagreeing with, yourself? I agreed with you. I’m a bit lost, buy maybe thats the both of us with the amount of grammar errors I had in that post lol.

12 Go to comments
f
frandinand 2 hours ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Free speech is one thing. Misogynistic xenophobic and racist slurs are another. Ojohn has been guilty of all 3 in the past.

34 Go to comments
J
JWH 3 hours ago
Why NZR's Ineos settlement may be the most important victory they'll enjoy this year

Unlikely? All Blacks and World Rugby’s brand has grown exponentially, especially since RWC23 and the B&I Lions tour coming to Aus this year.


Should be relatively easy for the most prominent and clean brand in rugby to get a really good sponsorship.

29 Go to comments
J
Jon 4 hours ago
Can Rugby Australia afford to go ‘all in’ on the Queensland Reds?

Hey Nick, thanks for another well put together article and interesting read. I would love to see Les Kiss stay at the Reds as it does feel like they are building towards something special with a great culture and team cohesion, but not quite this season unfortunately. Would be great if that reasoning was proved wrong and they take out title. It does feel to me, that Larkham and McKellar probably know more than us about the future Wallabies Coach and having now distanced themselves from the discussions, leaves Les as the frontrunner for the gig. RA do need to make a decision soon though before more of Noah’s mates join him overseas. On a more sobering note, RA’s problems seem minor to issue now being faced at home by the WRU. Would love to read your opinion on that one at some stage.

34 Go to comments
G
GP 4 hours ago
How Scott Barrett performs in Super Rugby Pacific is not a big deal

Well said. Will Jordan has blown his critics out of the water. He has been sublime at fullback for the Crusaders. Last week he was everywhere against the Drua in Fiji.

12 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'When I said Glasgow would win the Champions Cup, I had a couple of red wines' Leinster clash is opportunity for Glasgow's Lions hopefuls to roar
Search