The RugbyPass Spherical Desk writers preview the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Collection. Finn Morton (FM), Ben Smith (BS), Joe Harvey (JH) and Lachlan Gray (LG) weigh in with some predictions earlier than the season opener this weekend in Dubai.
Who would be the total males’s champions in 2025/26?
Finn Morton (FM): The fast rise of the Blitzboks on the SVNS Collection must be studied – it’s maybe the blueprint for one among their fiercest foes, who will ascend again to the highest of the mountain in 2025/26.
South Africa have an extended and esteemed historical past on the world’s premier sevens circuit, which made the staff’s seventh-place end on the league standings in 2022/23 and 2023/24 a shock to many, however they regarded like a very totally different staff final time round.
After taking out the general SVNS Collection World Championship title earlier this 12 months in Los Angeles, the Boks might be contenders but once more, however the All Blacks Sevens will reign supreme. They’ve made some intriguing modifications to their squad after a seventh-place end within the league final season.
They seem set to observe within the footsteps of their rival.
Andrew Knewstubb, Xavier Tito-Harris, Cody Vai and Tepaea Cook-Savage are among the many big-name departures from the All Blacks Sevens program, however others now have an opportunity to step up and star on the world’s sevens stage.
The All Blacks Sevens went unbeaten in warm-up matches in opposition to Fiji and Australia in Tauranga earlier this month. Akuila Rokolisoa is able to go, teenager Frank Vaenuku is again for an additional season, and captain Tone Ng Shiu is about to guide a facet that boasts real star energy.
Ben Smith (BS): The previous few years have been about Argentina within the males’s division, and 2025-26 might be no totally different.
They’ve constructed a formidable roster with speedster Marcos Moneta and Luciano Gonzalez, taking up the SVNS circuit.
Regardless of South Africa profitable the one-off World Championship in 2025 in LA, it was Argentina who claimed the league with 104 factors and gold at three consecutive occasions, Perth, Vancouver and Hong Kong. This was back-to-back league wins after ending 1st in 2023-24 as nicely.
Since 2021, they’ve claimed the Participant of the Yr award 3 times, Moneta, Rodrigo Isgro and Luciano Gonzalez all profitable the gong.
Isgro has gone to 15s with Harlequins, however there are different key items nonetheless round with Moneta and Gonzalez. Tobias Wade, Matteo Graziano, Santiago Mare.
Till somebody really stops them from profitable half the occasions, it’s too early to name the top of Argentina’s dominance.
Joe Harvey (JH): You understand, there actually is one thing about this South Africa staff. Philip Snyman has named a mind-bogglingly skilled squad for the season opener in Dubai and promised that new faces might be parachuted in over the course of the season as attentions start to show to LA28.
Having not simply the expertise to do this, however the confidence, is extraordinarily telling. For Dubai the Blitzboks boast 340 match appearances amongst their ranks. Their highway to World Championship success in 2025 was a gradual burn, this 12 months ought to be a present of energy from the beginning. One of the vital modifications to the staff is Impi Visser’s set up as captain, with Selvyn Davids and Zain Davids performing as co-captains.
Lachlan Gray (LG): Los Pumas 7s have been the mannequin of consistency all through the previous two Collection, ending as back-to-back League Winners earlier than falling within the closing 4 at Championship stage.
It took an early purple card to assist Spain stun Argentina 29-5 in final season’s Los Angeles semi-final whereas an Anton Dupont-inspired France had been shock 19-5 victors within the Madrid decider.
The brand new three-stop Championship format will see Los Pumas storm to the general crown and rightfully so.
Will the Black Ferns Sevens defend their SVNS title?
LG: It’d take a courageous scribe to tip in opposition to New Zealand’s all-conquering girls however Australia may simply have what it takes to grab the Black Ferns’ crown.
Tim Walsh’s facet shot out of the blocks final Collection with two titles (Dubai and Perth) from the opening three legs earlier than fading away, together with 4 straight defeats to New Zealand.
Nonetheless, the return of Maddi Ashby coupled with the squad’s improved depth and Australia’s pre-season type throughout the ditch in opposition to the Black Ferns lends a golden hue to their possibilities.
FM: New Zealand will be the reigning champions however this season’s title is Australia’s to lose. That’s fairly a daring option to body it however the Aussies actually do appear to be a category above – there’s probably not a weak spot in Tim Walsh’s squad this season.
Strive-scoring phenomenon Maddison Levi informed RugbyPass that Australia “can actually dominate the Collection with the women we’ve obtained.” Nicely Maddi, I don’t disagree.
Charlotte Caslick has been named within the squad for the season, however the three-time Olympian will miss the opening two stops of the marketing campaign. Madison Ashby, Kaitlan Shave, Bienne Terita and Demi Kennewell (nee Hayes) may even all be again within the combine at some stage after overcoming accidents.
Levi scored a record-breaking 15 tries in Dubai final season, and youthful sister Teagan has develop into one of many extra harmful playmakers within the recreation. Olympian Kahli Henwood missed out on choice for Dubai – this squad is stacked, to say the least.
New Zealand might be one among Australia’s fundamental rivals for title but once more, however they’re with out some established veterans as they appear to the following technology. Canada may even be a vastly improved facet, a lot in order that it wouldn’t be a shock in the event that they win a minimum of one occasion.
BS: Is it flawed to say the Black Ferns Sevens might be even higher this 12 months? Bringing over World Breakthrough Participant of the Yr Braxton Sorensen-McGee simply means the wealthy get richer.
The Black Ferns Sevens set the usual for New Zealand Rugby now. The Olympic gold medallists from 2024 continued that on the SVSN 2024-25 circuit making the ultimate in all seven occasions, profitable gold in 5 of them.
Jorja Miller and Risi Pouri-Lane took dwelling 5 Participant of the Remaining awards between them.
Lately, they’ve began gradual with Dubai being a troubled occasion for them. Australia girls have received the final two Dubai occasions. However the Ferns are likely to kick into gear and dominate after that.
If the Ferns declare Dubai this time round, it’s already over.
JH: I’m going to say no. Final 12 months a lot was made from the accidents sustained by Australia Girls’s Sevens and that numerous prime gamers went on Wallaroos responsibility forward of the Girls’s Rugby World Cup.
Over the following few months we won’t solely see Madison Ashby, Bienne Terita, Demi Kennewell (nee Hayes), Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds again on the pitch, however numerous Wallaroos gamers trying to maintain sharp earlier than the brand new Tremendous Rugby W season subsequent 12 months within the type of Waiaria Ellis and Maya Stewart.
Even with a threadbare squad Tim Walsh’s facet managed to complete second. With a resurgence of depth and extra gamers eager to get entangled, then you may solely see good issues forward.
Which staff is most probably to shock the world this season?
JH: This can be optimism greater than the rest, however within the males’s and girls’s competitions, I count on Nice Britain to throw a cat amongst the pigeons. An offseason restructure of their programme implies that GB have moved to a camp and competitors mannequin.
The Scottish Rugby Union have handed out six skilled contracts and introduced in Ciaran Beattie to guide the programme. It appears to be like completely totally different, however that’s not to say that it’ll go badly. We may nicely see Nice Britain battle in Dubai and Cape City, however that preliminary litmus check will battle-harden the groups and pave the way in which to an upset within the New Yr.
LG: There’s just one means for the New Zealand Males in 2025/2026 – and that’s up.
After an early semi-final look in Dubai final Collection, the All Black Sevens completed stone chilly final on the League rankings earlier than firing late within the piece to assert third on the LA Championships.
They’re a much better outfit than these outcomes recommend and the injection of rookie trio Riley Williams, Fletcher Morgan and Kele Lasaqa will add much-needed depth to a squad determined to show their dwelling critics flawed this season.
Don’t be stunned to see these All Black Sevens on the rostrum as a rule.
BS: If there’s a shock staff, it is going to come on the boys’s facet who’ve essentially the most competive panorama ever.
Solely three nations received an occasion leg final season, Argentina (3), South Africa (2) and Fiji (2). Spain and France completed runners-up twice every, with out an occasion win.
New Zealand went with out a prime three end all season, earlier than claiming bronze within the World Championship in LA.
As ridiculous because it sounds for the All Blacks Sevens to be the shock staff, from the place they’re coming from, they qualify for that moniker. In the event that they win an occasion, will probably be a shock.
They’ve Akuila Rokolisoa again, who missed most of final 12 months, whereas younger Kele Lasaqa is a younger playmaker to look at. In the event that they get 2023 breakout star Roderick Solo again from harm, they are going to be huge riser. If he will get his likelihood, Kitiona Vai may make a reputation for himself.
2025-26 could be the re-birth season for the All Blacks Sevens.
FM: Spain caught everybody off guard after they defeated the All Blacks Sevens twice in Dubai final season, however that was the beginning of an extremely exceptional season. They’d completed 11th in 2022/23 and 10th the next season, earlier than skyrocketing up the standings final time round.
After six occasions in 2024/25, Spain completed in third place on the league standings, behind solely Argentina and Fiji. Spain went on to lose the World Championship decider to South Africa – so almost etching their names into sporting immortality with the general season title.
Whereas many followers would most likely nonetheless contemplate Spain an underdog, relatively than an out-and-out contender this season, it’s fully attainable they carry a trophy or two. That is the season the complete rugby world formally recognises Spain as a longtime juggernaut on the SVNS Collection.
Would it not be honest to say that’s a shock? Once more, is determined by who you ask.
Within the girls’s draw, Japan completed the 2024/25 league in fifth place. Japan Girls’s Below-18s Sevens Growth Squad received World Youth Sevens in Auckland final December, and ultimately, these gamers are going to make their mark on the skilled stage.
Japan play with fearlessness, grit and talent. They throw the ball round and aren’t afraid to entrance up on the defensive facet of the ball. Whether or not it’s this season or someday within the close to future, Japan will observe within the footsteps of Spain’s males’s facet, by rising as a real sevens power.
