Aussie Singapore Sevens slip before world championships
Australia's rugby men suffered all weekend and their female counterparts were handed a lesson by their greatest rivals in Singapore as the disheartened sevens teams were left with much to do before next month's world championships.
The men's outfit endured a wretched weekend at the world series league-ending Singapore Sevens, winning just one match of four.
Meanwhile, the women, still the second-best team in the world, discovered the gulf between them and their New Zealand conquerors appears only to be getting wider.
Despite Maddison Levi's record-breaking weekend, in which she powered past 200 tries faster than any player before her and produced some heroics in the final, the women were again trounced by their great trans-Tasman rivals 31-7 in the Singapore final.
Where the stars will shine ✨The teams fighting it out for the World Championship in @LASevensRugby #HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/zuKdfvXprO
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) April 6, 2025
The men, though, didn't even manage to qualify for the knock-out stages as they suffered three comprehensive defeats - 28-5 to Uruguay, 28-7 to Spain and, in their final match on Sunday, 26-7 to South Africa.
Their one win of the weekend was a 28-5 win over France, but it was not enough to camouflage what a deflating weekend it had been for coach Liam Barry's side.
"After playing well and achieving a third in Hong Kong (in the previous world series event the previous week) it was extremely disappointing not to be able to repeat similar," said Barry.
"We were well below our high standards. We must learn very quickly as we have the season-ending tournament to play in Los Angeles in four weeks' time."
That tournament is the world championships in Los Angeles on May 3 and 4 where the top eight teams from the world series league program, which concluded in Singapore, will feature.
While Barry's side finished sixth in the men's league behind winners Argentina, the women were a close second behind perennial rivals New Zealand, although Tim Walsh's side were hammered by the Kiwis in both the Hong Kong and Singapore showdowns.
"We were totally outplayed in the final," admitted Walsh. "We didn't do ourselves any favours with some cheap errors and failing to apply any real pressure.
"What did you just do, Maddi Levi?!" 😱An incredible try-saving tackle by the @Aussie7s player! 🇦🇺#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSSGP pic.twitter.com/sPxGANtvLQ
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) April 6, 2025
"In finals, it is a game of detail and execution and we didn't deliver."
Still, Levi's performance, which featured a try and a remarkable try-saving steal in the final, helped show what's still possible, and Walsh sounded a positive note, saying: "The back-to-back legs have been a real positive and proven the strength of the program and its pathway.
"We had (captain) Tia Hinds lead the team in an authentic and composed manner whilst maintaining the team's high standards, and we are all looking forward to the final in Los Angeles."
The Los Angeles draw features Australia's women in a pool with France, the hosts and Olympic bronze medallists USA and Fiji, with the top two going through to the semis.
The men have a fiendish draw against Singapore victors Fiji, Spain and New Zealand.
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