HSBC SVNS World Championship Series Bordeaux 2026 Preview

The third and final leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series 2026 takes place in Bordeaux at the Stade Atlantique from 5 to 7 June 2026.

Photo Credit – Photo by Alex Ho & Zach Franzen / World Rugby)

The 24 captains were in the presence of the Mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, and French Rugby Federation CEO Christophe Pierrel at the historic Opéra national de Bordeaux for the final captains’ photocall of the 2026 season.

Pools – SVNS World Championship Series Bordeaux 2026

Women

Pool A

• New Zealand
• France
• South Africa
• Argentina

New Zealand, following their shock semifinal loss in Spain, have now fallen behind their great rivals Australia in the standings.

French captain Lili Dezou said, “We are very excited to be in Bordeaux because it’s our home and it’s in front of the French public. We can’t wait to play this weekend. There will be a lot of noise, and the fans will be partying everywhere – it will be a lot of fun.”

Pool B

• Australia
• Japan
• Fiji
• Brazil

While Japan should be safe and secure a top-8 finish to remain as a core team on SVNS 1, both Fiji and Brazil are still fighting for the same goal, and each game will be vitally important.

The Australian women, following their win last weekend despite injuries, now sit on top of the standings on 38 points, two ahead of NZ. It appears as if Maddi Levi is included, but Amahli Hala has come in for Tia Hinds.

Pool C

• USA
• Canada
• Spain
• Great Britain

The USA made their first cup final in a long time in Valladolid and face neighbours Canada in Pool C, while Spain should be safe in the top 8; GB sit at the bottom of the standings.

Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team has made changes for the final round; Olympians Fancy Bermudez, Pamphinette Buisa, and Chloe Daniels, as well as Larah Wright, who played with Canada’s Women’s ‘Next Gen’ Sevens Team at the EAAST 7s tournament in France, come in.

Piper Logan suffered an injury on the opening day in Valladolid, while Alysha Corrigan and Olivia Apps return to their Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) club, Saracens, for the team’s final regular season match before the playoffs.

All of the fixtures and results can be seen here.

Men

Pool A

• South Africa
• Fiji
• Kenya
• Great Britain

GB have surprisingly included Darcy Graham in the squad for this final SVNS leg of the season – the team are bottom of the log, but only three points separate the bottom four sides.

South Africa were not great in Valladolid but still made the Cup final. They have a four-point advantage over Argentina, so if the Blitzboks make another final, the title should be theirs.

22-year-old Jayden Nell, in his debut season, said, “We know what to do, and it all boils down to how we play together as a team. We have seen this year that if the guys do that, we are a tough team to beat. We know what we have to do; it is just a matter of going out there and doing it.” He scored his debut try in Valladolid.

Blitzbok captain Impi Visser added, “Individually we fought hard, but as a collective, we did not punch hard enough. Those lessons were accepted and for this weekend, we want to go out and play without any fear, and stick to the things that make us tick as a team. Our slogan of ‘powered by unity’ is spot-on to describe our approach for the weekend.”

Donavan Don has joined the Blitzbok squad following the knee injury sustained by Dewald Human in Spain.

Pool B

• Australia
• Spain
• USA
• Uruguay

The Australian men have called in Jayden Blake to replace the injured Dietrich Roache.

Pool C

• Argentina
• New Zealand
• France
• Germany

French captain Paulin Riva said: “Returning to France after our success at the Paris Olympics is a great opportunity. Playing in front of our families, friends, and French supporters in a city like Bordeaux, a rugby city, is a privilege.”

Japan Sakura 7s Squad

Japan’s Head Coach, Yuka Kanematsu, said via the JRFU: “At the Bordeaux tournament, we will prepare to once again connect with each other in an invisible way so that we can play the Sakura Sevens rugby that we have built up this season in all six matches.”

Captain Suda said, “The next tournament will be our last in the Championship. We will prepare to fully utilise everything we’ve built up so far and control the game in our own way. We will fight together as a team to reach the semifinals or higher.”

More on the squad for Bordeaux can be seen here.

Photo Credit- Captains pose for a photo in advance of the 2026 HSBC SVNS Bordeaux at Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole on June 3, 2026 in Bordeaux, France. (Photo by Alex Ho & Zach Franzen / World Rugby)

How To Watch The HSBC SVNS World Championship Bordeaux 2026

For details on your region’s broadcast partner, you can see more here.

Sevens Rugby News 2026

• South African Men Secure First Ever Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong 7s Title.
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• Ultimate Sevens Confirms Teams.