Fiji and New Zealand successfully defended their titles at the Singapore leg of the 2025–26 HSBC SVNS series on Sunday, 1 February, delivering statement performances at the Singapore National Stadium.
The Black Ferns 7s were in ruthless form in the women’s Cup final, dismantling archrivals Australia 36-7. Playing with pace and precision, New Zealand ran in six tries to Australia’s one in a one-sided contest that underlined their dominance on the circuit.
Jorja Miller was at the heart of the performance and walked away with the HSBC Player of the Match award. The victory not only secured back-to-back Singapore titles for the Black Ferns 7s but also saw them finish the tournament unbeaten.
In the men’s final, Fiji produced a trademark comeback to defeat France 21-12 after trailing 12-0 at half-time.
France thought they had struck first inside the opening minute when Simon Désert crossed the line, only for the TMO to rule the final pass forward. Les Bleus eventually opened the scoring through Jordan Sepho, with Enahemo Artaud adding the conversion for a 7-0 lead. After the half-time hooter, Paulin Riva extended the advantage to 12-0.
Fiji initially struggled to find rhythm in the second half as France’s physicality kept them on the back foot. But the Pacific Islanders’ resilience soon surfaced. Viwa Naduvalo, later named HSBC Player of the Final, ignited the fightback with a converted try. From the restart, Kavekini Tanivanuakula crossed for another converted score to swing the momentum and hand Fiji a 14-12 lead.
With the final play of the match, Pilipo Bukayaro crossed as the hooter sounded to seal a dramatic 21-12 victory and another Singapore crown for the Fijians.
Earlier in the day, Canada claimed third place in the women’s competition with a golden-point 24-19 win over the USA. In the men’s third-place playoff, New Zealand edged South Africa’s Blitzboks 14-12 in a tightly contested encounter.
English