An exciting second day of international rugby sevens action at the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 in Montevideo saw the semi-finallists decided following hotly contested quarter-finals on Saturday evening.

The first men’s semi-final will be an all South American affair as hosts Uruguay face Chile, before Dubai champions Kenya take on Hong Kong, the only team who remain unbeaten in an incredibly competitive men’s tournament in Montevideo.

In a demonstration of rugby’s continuing global expansion, teams from four different continents make up the women’s semi-final line up.

China have continued their winning streak since claiming gold at the first round in Dubai and will play Uganda in the first women’s semi-final, before Argentina and Belgium take the pitch in the second semi-final hoping to maintain their unbeaten records in Montevideo.

The women’s quarter-finals saw China beat Kenya 24-7 in a repeat of the Dubai gold medal final. Uganda overcame Hong Kong China 22-17, while crowd favourites Argentina beat Poland 26-17 in a pulsating match and Belgium overpowered Thailand 17-5 to continue their winning streak in Montevideo.

The men’s quarter-final clashes saw Chile record a narrow 12-7 win over Germany before hosts Uruguay were cheered on to a 26-7 victory over Portugal. In an intense all African battle it was Dubai winners Kenya who triumphed 7-5 over Uganda before Hong Kong China saw off Tonga 26-7 in the last match of day two at Estadio Charrua

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VIEW WOMEN’S SQUADS >>

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The action continues from 13:15 local time (GMT-3) on Sunday and concludes with the women’s and men’s finals at 19:05 and 19:39 respectively.

There is more to play for than ever before in this year’s Challenger with the competition expanded to three rounds and the top four placed men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the new promotion and relegation play-off competition at the HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid.

The Challenger was introduced in February 2020 to boost the development of rugby sevens across the globe and provide a clear promotion pathway to reach the top level of global rugby sevens for the short format of the game which has experienced huge growth over the past two decades since the introduction of the global sevens series and becoming an Olympic sport at the Rio 2016 Games.

The bigger and better than ever 2024 edition of the Challenger kicked off with a combined men’s and women’s event at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai on 12-14 January, followed by this weekend’s second round at Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo before standalone women’s and men’s events at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland and Dantestadion in Munich, Germany respectively on 18-19 May.

Fans around the globe can watch the action on rugbypass.tv.

With thanks to World Rugby

• Kenya and China were crowned men’s and women’s champions respectively at the opening round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 in Dubai
• Kenya overcame Chile 12-5 in an intense men’s final while China beat Kenya 19-5 in the women’s final
• Uruguay men and Argentina women won bronze to cap a strong tournament for South American teams
• Great demonstration of the continuing global growth of rugby sevens with no team remaining unbeaten and Africa, Asia and South America nations on the medal podium
• The Challenger provides a promotion pathway to HSBC SVNS 2025 with the top four placed men’s and women’s teams securing their place in the new promotion and relegation play-off competition at the HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid
• The Challenger continues with the second round in Montevideo on 8-10 March 2024

At the end of three days of intense, high quality competition it was Kenya men and China women who took top honours at the opening round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 in Dubai.

Kenya have been a mainstay on the HSBC SVNS and are aiming to return at the first opportunity following their relegation to the Challenger last year, and they got off to the perfect start with victory in Dubai.

They were made to work for the gold medal in a hard fought final win over Chile which finished 12-5. Earlier in the day Kenya had beaten Uruguay 21-5 in the semi-final while Chile reached the final thanks to a 15-7 win over previously unbeaten Germany.

Uruguay, who alongside Kenya will showcase their skills at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, recovered from semi-final defeat to claim the bronze medal with a 12-7 defeat of Germany.

China were the dominant force in the women’s competition and secured gold with a 19-5 win over Kenya in the final, gaining revenge for their 17-12 loss to the same opposition in Friday’s pool match.

China has earlier cruised into the final thanks to a 45-5 thrashing of Uganda in the semi-final, while Kenya saw off Argentina by 17-0 in the second semi-final. Argentina were impressive throughout the weekend and claimed the bronze thanks to a 36-10 win over Uganda.

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Amid ecstatic celebrations in front of the large contingent of supporters, Kenya co-captain Tony Omondi said: “We are super happy. We knew this Challenger event in Dubai was very crucial for us to start on a high and now we must carry on with the momentum until the last tournament.”

“It was a tough final today. Chile was a tough, physical opponent so we had to match them in all aspects and it came out good for us. We must also congratulate our ladies team as well, every game they played before us gave us the inspiration, so we had to deliver and thanks to them we are going back home with two medals.”

China women’s player Chen Keyi said: “We are happy and so proud of our girls and the way we played to our standards. Kenya is a very physical team so I’m proud of our tackling and how hard we worked for each other. We hope we can keep learning, keep playing to our way and keep winning in the next tournaments.”

There is more to play for than ever before in this year’s Challenger with the competition expanded to three rounds and the top four placed men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the new promotion and relegation play-off competition at the HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid.

World Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer Nigel Cass reflected on a highly successful start to the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024: “The opening round of the Challenger in Dubai was a great advert for the increasing competitiveness and global growth of rugby sevens. With highly competitive matches throughout, no unbeaten teams and semi-finalists from four different continents, it was a great demonstration of the potential for sevens to continue to evolve and excite fans around the world on the road to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”

“I would like to thank the Dubai organisers for hosting an excellent event on and off the pitch and extend my congratulations to Kenya and China, and to all teams who contributed to such a high quality event, which has taken the Challenger to a new level of competitiveness and performance. We look forward to next round in Montevideo and to seeing which four men’s and women’s teams ultimately qualify for the SVNS promotion-relegation play-off in Madrid in June.”

The Challenger tournaments replicate the Olympic Games competition format, with the 12 teams drawn into three pools of four teams each. The top two from each pool as well as the two best third-placed finishers will qualify for the knockout stages with quarter-finals and

The Challenger was introduced in February 2020 to boost the development of rugby sevens across the globe and provide a clear promotion pathway to reach the top level of global rugby sevens for the short format of the game which has experienced huge growth over the past two decades since the introduction of the global sevens series and becoming an Olympic sport at the Rio 2016 Games.

The bigger and better than ever 2024 edition of the Challenger consists of three rounds. Following the opener in Dubai the men’s and women’s teams now move on to Estadio Charrúa in Montevideo, Uruguay on 8-10 March before standalone women’s and men’s events at Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland and Dantestadion in Munich, Germany respectively on 18-19 May.

Fans around the globe can watch the action on rugbypass.tv.

With thanks to World Rugby

• South Africa women defeat Belgium to take one step closer towards HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series core status
• Tonga men capture title in pulsating final against Germany to lead race towards qualifying for the four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens
• Challenger Series finale set for 28-30 April at Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch
• China women and Hong Kong China men win bronze medal matches over Poland and Belgium respectively
• Winner of two-round women’s competition based on aggregate points to secure Sevens World Series entry
• Men’s competition winner based on aggregate points following second event to enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May with the winner achieving the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status

South Africa women and Tonga men took one step closer towards promotion by winning the opening tournament of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 on Saturday at Markötter Stadium.

Following three days of energy-sapping action in Stellenbosch, hosts South Africa dug deep to turn in an impressive performance in the women’s final, coming from behind to beat Belgium 17-10 in front of their home supporters.

In the men’s final, Tonga’s offensive firepower proved too strong for Germany as they scored four tries in their 26-14 victory to close out the event.

VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

With one tournament remaining in the Challenger Series, attention now shifts to the second event on 28-30 April to decide the aggregate men’s and women’s champions.

WOMEN’S DAY THREE RECAP:

Hosts South Africa scored the only try in the first semi-final to book a place in the final of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 when Simamkele Namba crossed the whitewash, beating China 5-0.

In the second women’s semi-final decider, Belgium outplayed a confident Poland team on their way to their first ever Challenger Series final. Belgium found themselves trailing 14-5 at the half-time mark against the 2022 finalists, however they managed to find another gear in the second half to edge their European rivals 24-19.

In the final, Belgium scored two quick tries in the opening four minutes against South Africa, who managed to get one back through Ayanda Malinga to trail 10-5 at half-time. But with a home ground advantage and passionate fans behind them, South Africa dug deep in the second half, scoring twice to win a hard-fought match.

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South Africa’s captain, Mathrin Simmers said: “I’m very happy with the performance of the girls. We started a bit slow, but we pulled through at the end of it. We were trailing at half-time but I just told them to stick to the processes, relax and focus on what we needed to do and stay in the moment.

“We have a lot of confidence going into the second leg of the tournament, but for us it’s just about going back to zero and starting all over again. We’ll go through all the processes and the systems we do in training and go into the next leg of the tournament.”

In the bronze final, China narrowly defeated Poland 14-10, while Czechia were victorious 34-10 over Thailand in the fifth place play-off. Madagascar narrowly defeated Colombia 14-12 in the seventh place play-off, while Papua New Guinea defeated Paraguay 10-5 in the 11th place play-off.

The ultimate prize at stake for the tournament winners in the women’s competition, which will be decided on aggregate points over the two events, is promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 as the 12th and final team.

MEN’S DAY THREE RECAP:                             

Two tries from Bastian van der Bosch helped Germany become the first nation to reach the men’s final at this year’s World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. A try from Belgium’s Martin Marenne in the second half proved to be not enough for the Belgians as they went down 19-5 to the Germans.

Tonga made sure of their place in the men’s final by beating Hong Kong China 33-0 in the second men’s semi-final. Hong Kong China were punished for their lack of discipline which saw them receive two yellow cards to give Tonga the upper hand throughout the match.

Later in the day, Belgium and Hong Kong China went head-to-head in a thrilling men’s bronze final, which was forced into extra-time with the teams tied 21-21 at full-time. It was the golden-point try from Hong Kong China’s Max Denmark in the second half of extra-time that separated the two teams to his side the win.

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In the men’s final, Tonga ran in four tries against Germany to be named champions in the opening round of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023. Soni Asi, John Tapueluelu, Kyren Taumoefolau and Tevita Manukea all scored to give the Tongans a 26-14 win over Germany.

Reflecting on their historic win, Tonga captain Sione Tupou said: “This win means the world to us. This is a reward for all the hardships that we’ve been through. This win is for the future generation in Tonga.

“The second week of the Challenger Series is going to be tough for us because now everyone will come after the champions, but we trust in the team that we have and the positive spirit that we carry.”

In the fifth place play-off, Uganda defeated Italy 19-15 while Chile blanked Brazil 41-0 in the seventh place decider. Zimbabwe defeated Papua New Guinea 40-17 for ninth place and Jamaica lost to Korea 12-5 in the 11th place play-off.

The winner of the men’s competition, which will also be decided on aggregate points over the two events, will enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May together with the teams placed 12th to 14th after 10 rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. The winner of the play-off will achieve the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status.

POOLS CONFIRMED FOR SECOND TOURNAMENT

The second and final event of the Challenger Series is scheduled to take place on 28-30 April at the same venue in Stellenbosch, and the pools have been confirmed.

Opening tournament winners South Africa women will be looking to go for back-to-back gold and receive the coveted qualification to the Sevens World Series in 2024. They headline Pool D and are joined by Thailand, Madagascar and Paraguay.

First round finalists Belgium have been drawn against Czechia, Colombia and Papua New Guinea in Pool E, while Pool F features China, Poland, Hong Kong China and Mexico.

The men’s competition will see opening tournament champions Tonga joined by Italy, Chile and Jamaica in Pool A.

Runners-up Germany have been pitted against Uganda, Brazil and Korea in Pool B while in Pool C, Hong Kong China, Belgium, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea will battle it out for a spot in the quarter-final.

With thanks to World Rugby

• Women’s semi-final line-up: South Africa v China, Belgium v Poland
• Men’s semi-finals: Belgium v Germany, Hong Kong China v Tonga
• Finals day on Saturday sees the women’s quarter-finals start at 09:54 local time (GMT+2) and the men’s semi-finals at 10:38, with the women’s and men’s cup finals at 13:33 and 14:01 respectively
• Winner of two-part women’s competition based on aggregate points to secure Sevens World Series entry
• Men’s competition winner based on aggregate points following second event to enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 with the winner achieving the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status

The first event of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 will come to a climax on Saturday after another thrilling day of action at Markötter Stadium which saw the women’s and men’s semi-final line-ups confirmed.

In the women’s event, hosts South Africa will face China in the final four, while Belgium will take on Poland on Saturday with a spot in the cup finals up for grabs.

VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

The opening men’s semi-final at Markötter Stadium will see an all-European clash of Belgium versus Germany before Hong Kong China takes on Tonga to decide who will advance to the finals later in the day.

The second event of the Challenger Series will also take place at Markötter Stadium on 28-30 April.

WOMEN’S DAY TWO RECAP:

Day 2 of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 kicked off with a high-scoring thriller when Thailand recorded their first win of the competition in a 84-7 over PNG. That result was enough to secure Thailand passage to the quarter-final as a best third placed finisher.

Czechia were edged 7-5 by Mexico, they, however, still managed to secure second place in Pool E, which they lost 26-17 against Belgium.

China continued their fine form from Day 1 with a clinical 33-0 win over Belgium. They continued to show their class in the quarterfinal with a hat-trick of tries from Liu Xiaoqian helping the Asian team to down Colombia 32-0 for a place in the semis against hosts South Africa.

Hosts South Africa sealed their quarter-final spot with a 14-5 win over Madagascar to finish top of Group E. They were made to work hard for their last four spot by a spirited Thailand team that scored two quick tries at the start of the second half. With local fans cheering them on, South Africa came out 29-12 victors.

Poland wrapped up the women’s group stage fixtures undefeated when they emerged comfortable winners over Belgium, winning all three of their matches. They continued their winning ways in the quarter-final, with tries from Hanna Maliszewska and Ilona Zaishliuk helping them book a place in the semifinal where they will face Belgium again.

South Africa will take on China at 09:54 local time, before Belgium go up against Poland at 10:16 on the third and final day of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

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The ultimate prize at stake for the tournament winners in the women’s competition, which will be decided on aggregate points over the two events, is promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 as the 12th and final team.

MEN’S DAY TWO RECAP:

It was all to play for in the Pool C match between Jamaica and Brazil, with the winner being guaranteed a place in the quarter-final. The men from South America went over the white line three times to win 17-12. The Brazilians then faced Hong Kong China in the last-eight, but only managed to score a single converted try against Hong Kong China’s five.

Hong Kong China will be hoping to continue their fine form when they take on a tricky Tonga side in the second men’s semi-final on the third and final day of the competition.

Tonga made it clear that they are the team to beat in the men’s competition. They went into the quarter-finals unbeaten with two wins and a draw. Kyren Taumoefolau scored two of the five tries to help Tonga past Italy in the quarter-finals.

High flying Uganda topped the overall men’s standings with another clinical win in their final group stage. Their halftime lead against Germany in the quarterfinal was not enough to keep them in the running for top spot, as they suffered a 26-14 defeat.

Belgium brought their A-Game on Day 2 of the competition. They kicked things off with a 40-21 victory over Zimbabwe to advance to the quarter-finals. They then produced arguably the biggest upset of the competition when they stunned tournament favorites Chile 21-14. That victory will see them take on Germany.

Two spots in the final are up for grabs in the men’s competition. Belgium and Germany will play in semi-final 1 at 10:30 before Hong Kong China take on Tonga at 11:00 local time.

VIEW MEN’S SQUADS >>

The winner of the men’s competition, which will also be decided on aggregate points over the two events, will enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May together with the teams placed 12th to 14th after 10 rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. The winner of the play-off will achieve the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status.

HOW TO WATCH >>

Field A
https://tinyurl.com/WRSCS-FieldA-Week1

Field B
https://tinyurl.com/WRSCS-FieldB-Week1

With thanks to World Rugby

• Final rosters have been announced for opening event of the two-part World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 in Stellenbosch, South Africa
• Winner of women’s competition to secure Sevens World Series entry
• Men’s competition winner to enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 with the winner achieving the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status
• Play begins at 09:00 (GMT+2) on Thursday, 20 April

The captains of the 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 in Stellenbosch over two legs on 20-22 and 28-30 April gathered on Wednesday at Gardens Rugby Club on the slopes of the iconic Table Mountain.

Three days of intense competition of the first event at Markotter Stadium will kick-off on Thursday at 09:00 local time (GMT +2) when Belgium faces Papua New Guinea and Madagascar takes on Mexico in women’s pool F and E action respectively.

VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

The ultimate prize at stake for the tournament winners in the women’s competition, which will be decided on aggregate points over the two events, is promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 as the 12^th and final team.

The 12-team women’s pool draw sees Poland go up against Columbia, Hong Kong China and Paraguay in Pool D.

Poland Women’s Captain, Anna Klichowska said: “Last year we lost in the final against Japan and it was really hard for the team. But I know that now we’re stronger and I hope that we can win it this time and get to the World Series. We play a really high level of rugby and I’m sure that we will be able to compete in the World Series.”

Hosts South Africa have been drawn against Madagascar, Mexico, and Czechia in Pool E.

South Africa Women’s Captain, Mathrin Simmers said: “The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series is very important for us, especially because we want to play in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and play against the best players in the world. If we win this and qualify, it will open doors for younger girls to come through and just to build women’s rugby in South Africa.”

Pool F features China, Belgium, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.

VIEW MEN’S SQAUDS >>

The Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens’ development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The men’s Challenger Series 2020 featured two rounds, both played in South America. Japan’s men’s team gained promotion following the inaugural pair of events and, following a year break due to the global pandemic, Japan women and Uruguay men won the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 to earn core status on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023.

In the men’s Challenger Series, Germany headline the men’s Pool A and are joined by Tonga, Zimbabwe and Belgium.

2022 hosts and third place finishers, Chile, will be looking to improve from last year and go for the top spot. They will take on Hong Kong China, Papua New Guinea and Italy in Pool B.

In Pool C, Uganda are joined by Korea, Jamaica and Brazil.

The winner of the men’s competition, which will also be decided on aggregate points over the two events, will enter a four-team play-off at the HSBC London Sevens in May 2023 together with the teams placed 12^th – 14^th after ten rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The winner of the play-off will achieve the coveted Sevens World Series 2024 status.

Tonga Men’s Captain, Sione Tupou said: “South Africa is really beautiful and we’re very grateful to be here. Our preparation has been good and the boys are well prepared. Tonga have never played in the World Series. So for us it’s a huge opportunity for us to win this tournament so that we can also open doors to the younger generation back at home.”

VIEW WOMEN’S SQAUDS >>

Broadcast details will be announced ahead of kick off on Thursday. Rights free images are available via the World Rugby Media Zone.

With thanks to World Rugby

There was no shortage of drama, determination and scintillating skill on day one of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 in Santiago, Chile.

With the prize of promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 at stake, the 24 competing teams played with passion and commitment on the opening day of the three day competition at Estadio Santa Laura in view of the majestic Andes mountain range.

In the women’s tournament Kenya, Japan, Poland and Kazakhstan secured a pair of victories and will be looking ahead to Saturday’s quarter-finals.

Kazakhstan were impressive throughout, convincingly beating Colombia 22-5, and Mexico 24-5. Japan, who are looking to return to the World Series as a core team, beat Mexico 44-5 and Colombia 21-12.

Poland were the day’s top scorers with a 71-0 thrashing of Papua New Guinea in Pool E, which followed their earlier 36-5 victory over Argentina, who bounced back to beat Belgium 15-10 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Kenya took charge of Pool D with a hard fought 17-15 win over China, followed by a 31-5 defeat of South Africa. China  and will face South Africa in a crucial final pool match on Saturday morning.

The men’s competition saw Tonga and Hong Kong secure their progress to Saturday’s quarter-finals by winning both of their matches against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in Pool B.

Germany are in pole position in Pool C with a perfect win record after beating Lithuania and overcoming Uganda 17-14 in a pulsating encounter thanks to a hattrick of tries from Jack Hunt.

Hosts Chile were cheered to a 24-7 victory over Papua New Guinea in the last match of the day to build upon their earlier 19-14 win over Georgia as they look sure to progress to the quarter-finals.

Chile men’s captain Joaquin Huici said: “The first game was a tough one against Georgia and it was the same against Papua New Guinea, although we managed to control the game. Tomorrow we face Korea in our last pool match, we will get some rest and focus on them.”

VIEW FULL DAY ONE REPORT >>

Play begins on Saturday 13 August at 09:28 local time (GMT-4) when Colombia and Mexico take to the pitch to kick-off an action-packed day of international rugby sevens, with the quarter-finals set to take place from 17:00 to 20:58. The all-important finals will take place on Sunday with the women at 18:47, followed by the men at 19:20.

VIEW RESULTS AND FIXTURES >>

The Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens’ development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The global event sees teams from all six World Rugby regions represented in a competition format that replicates the Olympic Games with three pools of four teams.

The top two from each pool along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final will decide the tournament winners on Sunday.

There is plenty of top class experience in the line-up as nine men’s teams have appeared on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series previously as invitational teams. Meanwhile China and Japan have both been core teams on the women’s Series, while another eight women’s teams have played at least once in the Series.

Five of the women’s teams and nine men’s teams competing in Chile have also qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where they will play in front of an anticipated crowd of 165,000 fans across three days in Cape Town on 9-11 September.

Fans around the world can watch every match of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series live on www.world.rugby, while in South America the action will be live streamed on ESPN’s Star+ platform.

With thanks to World Rugby

The health and safety of participating teams, tournament event staff and spectators is our highest priority. This proactive decision has been taken to help protect the global rugby community and the wider public and was taken based on the World Health Organisation and relevant public authority travel and health guidelines. The decision is fully supported by stakeholders, including unions and commercial partners.

Further details in relation to the rearrangement of the Stellenbosch women’s HSBC World Rugby Challenger Series event will be communicated in due course.