The standalone HSBC SVNS 3 Dubai 2026 event takes place from 17-18 January on Pitch 2 at The Sevens Stadium and will feature eight men’s and eight women’s teams competing for promotion to HSBC SVNS 2, including the Thai women and Hong Kong China men from Asia.
Updated with Squad news, Captain Photos and qoutes Jan 15 2026
Saturday will see all the pool games played, and Sunday’s programme will see teams progress to the play-offs. The top two men’s and women’s teams will secure promotion to HSBC SVNS 2 and be crowned HSBC SVNS 3 champions.
World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “With one month to go, HSBC SVNS 3 represents an important milestone in the evolution of our global sevens pathway. Bringing this standalone event to Dubai provides teams with a clear, competitive route towards the SVNS World Championship, while reinforcing our commitment to growing the game sustainably and globally.”
HSBC SVNS 3 Dubai 2026 Pools
Qualification for HSBC SVNS 3 was earned through regional tournaments.
Photo Credit – Rugby Photo Thailand
- Pool A – Czechia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand
- Pool B – Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Samoa
The Thai women, who qualified by coming in third in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2025, have recently also won the SEA Games 2025 gold, in which they didn’t concede a point. They will face the teams in their pool in the following order: Czechia, Mexico, and South Africa.
Thai Women’s Head Coach and former NZ 7s player Lote Raikabula, told Rugby Asia 247 what it would mean to reach the next Division, “It would be massive. It would be huge, I think, not only for Thai rugby, but also for other teams in the region, the likes of Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, because we’ve got Japan and China already in the circuit. So when they come back, it’s a challenge for us to try and gauge that or perform and match the intensity as they’ve been playing in the World Series.”
South African Women’s Head Coach and former Blitzbok Cecil Afrika said, “The players sacrificed a lot of the last couple of weeks, training while everyone else was seemingly having a break or a good time. Our focus is on our standards and processes. We know what we need to do and by keeping our focus, how to get there.”
Nadine Roos, the talisman of the SA Women’s team, who played at RWC 2025, added, “The biggest pressure is, of course, qualifying for the World Series. This is not only important for sustaining the current sevens programme, but also for shaping the future of the programme in South Africa. It’s about more than just qualifying – it’s about building a structure that ensures long-term success.”
Argentina captain Paula Pedrozo said, “The team has high expectations. We have been working hard to refine details and continue improving our defensive and attacking systems, analysing our opponents and, of course, analysing our strengths and weaknesses. The main objective is to qualify for SVNS 2. Winning the championship would be a nice bonus.”
Photo Credit – HKCR
- Pool A – Colombia, Hong Kong China, Samoa, Tonga
- Pool B – Belgium, Canada, Italy, Madagascar
The Hong Kong China men qualified after defending their Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series title, during which they didn’t lose a single game. Since then, they have also won the Chinese National Games gold. They will face the teams in their pool in this order: Tonga, Samoa, and Colombia.
Head Coach Jevon Groves said, “We spoke with the squad about how we felt we have grown in the last 12 months as a group, and lots of it was related to the level of work capacity we’ve put into our training, the level of cohesion amongst the players on and off the field is better, and I think that, coupled with executing the game plan that we want to play, will hopefully lead to a good performance.”
You can read more in our colab piece with Hong Kong China here.
Promoted Teams Head to HSBC SVNS 2
The top two men’s and women’s teams in Dubai will head to HSBC SVNS 2 and join sevens nations including China, Kenya, Uruguay and USA. The three legs will be played in Nairobi, Montevideo and Sao Paulo in February and March 2026.
Across HSBC SVNS 2, the top four men’s and women’s teams will earn promotion to the elite HSBC SVNS World Championship Series. This winner-takes-all series will see 24 teams (12 men’s and 12 women’s) compete at prestigious stops in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.
Squad News – HSBC SVNS 3 2026
Thailand Women 7s
Wannaree Meechok, Ruksina Nawakaew, Thanachporn Wandee, Phonnapha Nartsopha, Phanthira Chaiket, Salinda Phaekwamdee, Nuntadchaporn Yodya, Darin Jantamala, Thanaporn Huankid, Narathip Maneesai, Rattanaporn Wittayaronnayut, Dion Akwaja, Panpassa Jaijarim
Hong Kong China Men’s 7s
Seb BRIEN (co-captain); James CHRISTIE (co-captain); Julian BOURRON; Jack COMBES; Max DENMARK; FONG Kit Fung; Liam HERBERT; Callum McCULLOUGH; Alessandro NARDONI; Bryn PHILLIPS; Matt RICKARD; Harry SAYERS.
How To Watch the HSBC SVNS 3 Dubai 2026
All games will be free to attend at The Sevens Stadium, and check with your local broadcaster and on RugbyPassTV for streaming coverage.
You can see the full match schedule here.
Sevens Rugby News 2025-2026
- Hong Kong China Men’s 7s Feel Much Improved Heading Into HSBC SVNS 3 2026.
- Thailand Women’s Rugby 7s Are Aiming For the Global Stage.
- HSBC SVNS Singapore 2026 Pools Confirmed.
- The Vengaboys Confirmed To Perform at 50th Anniversary Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2026.
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