The inaugural HSBC SVNS World Championship came to a close in Bordeaux, France, after three rounds of competition in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux, with South Africa emerging as the men’s champions following a dominant campaign across the three-leg series.
The Blitzboks topped the final standings with 52 points, finishing ahead of New Zealand on 44 points and Spain on 42.
Australia and Argentina tied on 38 points but were separated by placing criteria, while Fiji and France completed the top seven positions.
USA claimed the crucial eighth and final SVNS Division 1 spot with 17 points, edging Kenya by a single point after a strong showing in Bordeaux.
Kenya finished ninth on 16 points, narrowly missing out on retaining a place in the top-tier league phase for the 2026/27 season.
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Coming into the final leg, Kenya occupied eighth place on 14 points and looked well-positioned to secure their status, but USA’s late surge in Bordeaux proved decisive.
France and Kenya had entered the final tournament level on 14 points, with the race for the top eight remaining open until the closing stages of the competition.
The three-leg World Championship Series featured the top eight teams from SVNS Division 1 and the leading four teams from SVNS Division 2, with aggregate points from Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux determining the world champions and the teams that would remain in the elite competition next season.
Final Men’s HSBC SVNS World Championship Standings
2026 SVNS World Championship final standings. PHOTO/World Rugby
