QUALIFICATION for the next HSBC SVNS 1 season was a key focus for the Fiji Airways Fiji men’s and Fijiana 7s teams as they completed pool matches at the Bordeaux 7s in France.
The men’s side must finish with more than 26 points on the World Championship standings—points they entered Bordeaux with—to secure qualification for next season.
Fiji Airways Fiji Men’s 7s are currently in a fight to retain top-tier status after finishing fourth in Valladolid, Spain, leaving them on the edge of either qualification retention or relegation to SVNS 2.
Argentina, Australia and South Africa have already secured qualification after top-three finishes in the standings prior to the Bordeaux leg.
The Fijian men boosted their campaign with pool wins over Kenya (31-12) and Great Britain (26-12). They met South Africa in their final pool match at 9.06pm last night.
For the women, the Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s sit seventh in the standings and must work harder to secure qualification for next season’s elite series.
The Fijiana needed to reach the quarter-finals to strengthen their chances, after mixed results against Australia (7-19) and a 24-12 win over Japan, with their final pool match against Brazil proving decisive.
New Zealand, Australia, the United States and France have already qualified for next season’s HSBC SVNS series.
Fiji’s performance in the SVNS Series from Dubai in November to New York in February helped secure their place in the World Championships.
The World Championships are played across three legs, with only the top eight teams from the SVNS Series qualifying for Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.
