The tournament will feature 24 teams instead of the usual 16, and will be played over three days, taking place Friday March 25th to Sunday March 27th. Due to the increased number of teams the points on offer also increases with the winner of the Hong Kong edition claiming 30 IRB points.
Things are definitely heating up in the Series with both England and New Zealand tried on 80 points. The Kiwis have won two tournaments, and despite England only winning in Dubai, they have been the most consistent team making three appearances in finals. England may have the edge this time round as have always enjoyed the largest fan base inside a sold out Hong Kong Stadium. The team that lifts this weekend’s title will have some serious momentum leading into the final three tournaments.
South Africa stunned both England and Fiji in Las Vegas last month storming to their first win of the season. If the Blitzbokke can get another sparkling performance from playmakers Cecil Africa and Branco Du Preez then they could narrow the gap on the point’s table. Meanwhile Fiji and Samoa are locked on 64 points each, both capable of winning any tournament. However, Samoan coach Stephen Betham has left out his countries all time top try scorer, Mikaele Pesamino. Hopefully that decision won’t come back to haunt his side.
The USA are also due for a big outing, with the return of veteran Todd Clever a major boost for his team. Head coach Al Caravelli has done a superb job with his core group of players and are ready to produce some major upsets. Last year the Americans reached their first ever Cup final at the Adelaide Sevens, and will want to finish within the top 10 teams again this year.
The pools for Hong Kong are:
[Click on each team above to see what items are available from World Rugby Shop!]
HSBC Sevens World Series Results
Dubai – England 29 Samoa 21
George – New Zealand 22 England 19
Wellington – New Zealand 29 England 14
Las Vegas – South Africa 24 Fiji 14
HSBC Sevens World Series Standings
| Team | DUB | RSA | NZL | USA | HKG | AUS | ENG | SCO | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | ENGLAND | 24 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
 | NEW ZEALAND | 16 | 24 | 24 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 | |
| 3 |  | FIJI | 16 | 16 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
 | SAMOA | 20 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | |
| 5 |  | SOUTH AFRICA | 12 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 6 |  | AUSTRALIA | 8 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 7 |  | ARGENTINA | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 8 |  | WALES | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 |  | KENYA | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 |  | SCOTLAND | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 |  | UNITED STATES | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
For more information on the HSBC World Sevens Series visit the IRB website.
This Saturday, don’t miss the Hong Kong Sevens World Series LIVE @ 9pm PST/Midnight EST on-air and online only on Universal Sports. Use code "HSBC7s" to get 50% off the full series and make sure to "Like" Facebook.com/UniversalSports.
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