Fiji defeat New Zealand to secure their next semi-final spot. Photo: Supplied/Photosport
The Fiji men's sevens team dumped New Zealand, with a big 36-5 scoreline in pool play on Saturday night, to qualify for the semi-finals at the Singapore Sevens.
It was a match that both teams had to win in order to advance into the last four, with only the top teams from each pools qualifying.
The Singapore Sevens tournament format is different from the other events, but similar to what was trailed at the Cape Town event in December 2024, where there were no quarterfinals.
New Zealand were on the receiving end, as the Fijians turned on their magic and went through the pool game with a flow that gave head coach Osea Kolinisau hope, as they lined up a semi-final clash against favourites Argentina on Sunday evening.
Fiji captain Sevuloni Mocenacagi opened the scoring against the Kiwis and had a hand in the second try as well.
Fiji will now face Argentina in the second semi-final at 7:56pm (NZT) on Sunday.
The first semi-final will see Kenya against Spain.
New Zealand will meet Great Britain in the fifth place playoff.
Earlier in the day both Fiji and New Zealand had beaten USA in their opening pool games.
Fiji proved too strong and too clinical for the Americans, giving them a 38-0 hiding in front of the packed stadium crowd.
But it was not plain sailing for the Fijiana women's team.
Although they won their first pool match against Ireland earlier on Saturday afternoon, they went down 24-19 to France in their decider.
Los Pumas and New Zealand retain titles
New Zealand Silver Ferns beat China 38-0 in their Pool A Match. Photo: Supplied/Photosport
In the overall series standings, both the New Zealand women and Argentina men have each won the HSBC SVNS 2025 League titles, after reaching semi-finals on an exciting first day in Singapore.
New Zealand face France while Canada play Australia in Sunday's women's semi-finals.
World Rugby said women's Olympic champions New Zealand, and reigning men's HSBC SVNS league title holders Argentina, confirmed their status as the world's leading rugby sevens teams.
The Black Ferns Sevens secured the top-four finish they required at the sixth and final regular season round, thanks to a pair of convincing victories over China and Brazil.
They scored 86 points, without any points against them.
New Zealand vice-captain Risi Pouri-Lane said they were relieved after they had to perform and to come out in every tournament and put on a show for everybody and ourselves.
"Everyone here, we work hard to be in those kind of moments so it is relief but also just an overwhelming sense of joy knowing that the whole squad that's behind us, that put us in a position to be here in those moments," she told World Rugby media.
"We're our harshest critics. We always strive for more, we always want more, and we always think that we haven't actually reached our potential.
"There's pros and cons to that because we're so hard on ourselves but the pros to that is we're always striving for greatness."
Other results in the women's competition on day one saw Great Britain and Fiji secure their places in the SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles on May 3-4 .
Argentina had to work hard for the men's league title.
They lost their opening pool A match 26-24 to South Africa in an end-to-end thriller.
But they bounced back to beat Great Britain 19-12 in the second game.
The Los Pumas have now won their second consecutive series league title.
The eight men's teams who will compete in the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles are confirmed as Argentina, Fiji, Spain, South Africa, France, New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain.
The women's teams will be New Zealand, Australia, France, USA, Canada, Japan, Fiji and Great Britain.
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