All Blacks Sevens Face Tough Pool in Perth

New Zealand's All Blacks Sevens, looking to lift their success in the HSBC SVNS, face a tough pool for the three-day Perth leg from January 24-26.

The draw for the tournament, the third in the 2025 series, was made on Thursday and pits the All Blacks Sevens against series leaders Fiji, newly promoted Kenya and Uruguay.

The All Blacks Sevens are sixth in the series with 24 points. Fiji leads with 36, Spain is second with 32, France and South Africa have 30, and Argentina has 28.

The defending SVNS champion, Argentina, is in a pool with South Africa, which won the last tournament in Cape Town, Australia, and the USA. The third pool features France, Britain, Ireland, and Spain.

The defending women's SVNS champions, the Black Ferns Sevens are drawn in a pool with Japan, Ireland and Brazil.

The Olympic Games silver and bronze medalists behind New Zealand last year, Canada and the USA, are in a pool with Britain and Fiji. Last year's SVNS series champions Australia, who won the first tournament of this year's series in Dubai, are in a pool with France, China, and Spain.

New Zealand has 38 points, four more than second-placed Australia, while France is third with 32 and the USA at 30.

Australian women's coach Tim Walsh expects big things from his side on home soil.

"We had a fantastic Dubai tournament, statistically one of our best and looked unstoppable, but were a bit complacent in Cape Town where we slipped and have learnt lessons.

"It was a fantastic tournament in Perth last year, so we're looking forward to getting on the plane, putting on a show and doing our best to get the win.

"We've been at the top of our game for over a decade with a lot of big occasion experience and we're looking to express ourselves in Perth."

Read Source