Fiji's Gut-Wrenching Defeat

In a stunning turn of events at the Kai Tak Park in Hong Kong, the Fiji men’s sevens rugby team faced a gut-wrenching defeat as they lost 24-17 to France in the semifinals on Sunday night, extinguishing their hopes of advancing to the finals of the fifth event in the World Sevens Series.

The heartbreak intensified when Fiji was subsequently edged out by Australia in a nail-biting third and fourth-place playoff, finishing with a narrow 22-21 loss.

Fijiana Women’s Team Shines

While the men's team faced despair, the Fijiana women’s team delivered a ray of hope with a compelling 19-7 victory over the USA, securing a respectable fifth place at the tournament. Both teams will now shift their focus to Singapore, where they'll compete in the final series event.

Tournament Highlights

The tournament concluded with Argentina and New Zealand each claiming victory in their respective divisions. In an action-packed women’s final, New Zealand triumphed over Australia with a close score of 26-19. Meanwhile, Canada claimed the bronze medal after defeating France 21-17.

Argentina emerged victorious in the men's competition, capping off an impressive unbeaten run that included an earlier defeat of Fiji during pool play. They clinched their first Hong Kong title by narrowly defeating France 12-7.

Current Standings

As the teams head to Singapore, the points table shows Argentina at the top with 88 points, closely followed by Fiji on 76. Spain holds the third position with 74 points, and South Africa rounds out the top four with 66 points.

In the women's competition, New Zealand leads the charge with 96 points, while Australia sits in second with 88 points. France is in third with 66 points, and Canada and the USA are tied at 56.

High Stakes in Singapore

With Fiji currently in seventh place on the men’s leaderboard with 38 points, the stakes are high in Singapore. The top eight teams after this event will secure their spots for the series finals in Los Angeles on May 2-3.

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams will face the daunting prospect of battling against the top four from the World Sevens Challenger Series for survival.

Samoa and Tonga, both participating in the Challenger Series, will be eager to make their mark and secure promotion.

Fans are left holding their breath as these thrilling competitions unfold—will Fiji rebound and reclaim their spot among the elite in Singapore? Stay tuned to find out!