Vancouver SVNS 2024: Argentina men and New Zealand women clinch crowns, Dupont shines on debut for France
A third consecutive event win sees Los Pumas 7s extend their lead in the men's overall standings, while Australia finished off the women's podium for the first time this season but remain top.
Rugby Sevens
There seems to be no stopping the Argentine men's rugby sevens juggernaut so far in the 2023/2024 World Rugby SVNS, with Los Pumas winning their third straight title in four events on Sunday (25 February) at the Vancouver SVNS.
A Matías Osadczuk hat-trick helped Argentina ease past New Zealand 36-12 in the final, despite the All Blacks 7s running out to an early 12-0 lead inside the first three minutes.
Los Pumas had levelled the scores at 12–12 by half-time, and in the second half Argentina gained a foothold in the match for which the Kiwis had no answer. A late Tepaea Cook Savage sin-binning for New Zealand compounded the defeat.
It means Argentina have now tasted success in Cape Town, Perth, and Vancouver to add to a runner-up finish at the season opener in Dubai, and has them comfortably on 78 points far ahead of Ireland and Fiji, each on 54.
France beat the United States 42-12 in the third-place playoff.
New Zealand did taste success in the Pacific Canadian city though, with their women's team sealing a commanding 35-19 win over France to clinch their first title of the season.
The Black Ferns' superstar Portia Woodman-Wickliffe got things going in the first minute and went on to cross three times, and although France had the better of the second half, New Zealand held their opponents at arm's length for the win.
With hosts Canada beating Australia 19–14 for third, the lead for Australia at the top of the overall standings was cut to just six points. The Aussies sit on 72, with New Zealand on 66 and France right behind on 62.
Antoine Dupont makes waves in sevens debut
The Vancouver SVNS were also notable for the international rugby sevens debut of France's fifteens union star Antoine Dupont, who has made the switch to sevens with an eye on representing the Olympic hosts at Paris 2024.
He came on as a replacement twice in the pool stages against the United States and Samoa before earning his first start in the last pool game against Australia, scoring his first try.
But his biggest contribution came in the quarter-final against Ireland, as the 27-year-old scored a last-minute winning try to send France into the last four.
After another appearance off the bench as Les Bleus fell to New Zealand, Dupont started the third-place play-off against the United States.
While he was sin binned after just two minutes, he made amends with a late try to take his tournament total to three.
The SVNS circuit now moves south to Los Angeles, California, from 1 to 3 March.