The Spanish rugby sevens team has had an unforgettable November and December in the World Rugby HSBC SVNS Series, reaching the semifinals for the first time in its history in two consecutive tournaments: Dubai and Cape Town. This achievement not only highlights the team’s competitive growth, but also positions it as one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, placing it currently among the top three teams in the overall ranking of this Olympic discipline.
RESULTS IN CAPE TOWN
In the Cape Town tournament, held this past weekend, Spain qualified for the semifinals after beating Kenya and Australia with authority in the group stage. In the semifinals, they faced the hosts, South Africa, in a very close match that ended with a score of 12-19 in favor of the South Africans, leaving the “Lions” at the gates of a second consecutive final.
In the match for third and fourth place, the Spaniards were up against the competition leaders, Fiji. Jeremy Trevithick’s two tries kept hopes of victory alive, but the physicality and unbridled play of the Fijians ended up deciding the match with a resounding 10-47 victory.
RUNNERS-UP IN DUBAI
A week earlier, at the Dubai tournament, Spain showed an electrifying game full of determination. After overcoming a complicated group phase (victories against USA and New Zealand), they beat Great Britain in the quarterfinals and in the semifinals they achieved a thrilling victory again against New Zealand. Although they lost in the final to Fiji, that second place represented a historic moment and a clear message: Spain is ready to compete at the highest level.
HISTORIC RECORD IN 2024
With these results, Spain closes the start of the season with a total of 32 points in the HSBC SVNS Series, its best historical record after two tournaments. This performance far exceeds the 36 points that the team accumulated in the whole of last season, making clear the qualitative leap of the national team.
Currently, the “Lions 7s” are in second place in the overall ranking, behind only Fiji, which leads with 36 points, and ahead of powerhouses such as France and South Africa, both with 30 points.
A PATH OF GROWTH
This milestone is the result of years of work and development in Spanish rugby sevens. Under the direction of Paco Hernández, the team has consolidated a style of play based on speed, defensive pressure and effectiveness in transitions. In addition, the support of the Spanish Rugby Federation has been fundamental in strengthening the team’s base.
With the season still underway, the great challenge will be to maintain this level of performance in the coming tournaments. The successes in Dubai and Cape Town have raised expectations, but they have also put Spain on the radar of the big teams, who will now see the “Lions” as a rival to be feared.
