VANCOUVER — On Sunday, Argentina triumphed over South Africa to secure the men’s title while New Zealand emerged victorious against Fiji, capturing the women’s title at the Vancouver Sevens, a key event in the rugby World Sevens Series.
In the men’s final, Argentina’s Luciano Gonzalez made a remarkable impact by scoring two tries in the first half, followed by another from Tobias Wade straight after halftime. This allowed Argentina to build a solid 19-0 lead over South Africa.
Despite a strong comeback from South Africa, which included tries from Quewin Nortje and Siviwe Soyizwape, Gonzalez played a pivotal role in preventing further scoring by seizing a late turnover. This effort helped Argentina secure a narrow 19-12 victory.
This win marked Argentina’s fourth consecutive title in Vancouver and their first victory in six finals against South Africa. Captain Santiago Mare expressed his pride in the team and the support of the staff, remarking that there is something special about playing rugby in Vancouver.
With this win, Argentina climbed to the top of the season standings, amassing 68 points, overtaking Spain, which has 64 points, along with Fiji and South Africa, both at 62 points. Spain achieved a third-place finish by defeating Fiji 22-7 in the playoff.
In the women’s final, New Zealand dominated Fiji with a decisive 41-7 win, leading 22-0 at halftime. New Zealand’s Risi Pouri-Lane and Manaia Nuku both scored early tries while Fiji was temporarily down a player. Additional tries from Stacey Waaka and Georgia Miller further solidified New Zealand’s lead before halftime.
Michaela Brake continued her impressive performance by scoring the first try of the second half, marking her 10th try of the tournament and 264th overall in the World Series, thus extending her all-time record. Although Fiji’s Sesenila Donu managed to score, New Zealand quickly responded with tries from Maia Davis and Mahina Paul.
Captain Sarah Hirini praised Vancouver as a favorite destination for the team and was thrilled to claim another victory there. She also acknowledged the efforts of their competitors, the Fijiana team, for reaching the Oceania final.
After the tournament, New Zealand firmly held the lead in the women’s standings with 76 points, followed by Australia with 70 and France with 52. Australia finished third in Vancouver, while the host team Canada defeated the United States 27-10 in the seventh-place playoff.
