This tournament has been synonymous with underdogs and upsets with Argentina winning last year's edition while Kenya made the finals in 2018 and 2021.
Will Canada once again deliver a handful of upsets or is 2023 set to be the year of the big guns in the ‘Great White North’?
Vancouver Sevens
Friday 3 March – Sunday 5 March
BC Place
To Win Tournament (Outright)
Betting tba
New Zealand
South Africa
Fiji
Argentina
Australia
Samoa
France
Pools
Pool A: New Zealand, Samoa, Spain, and the United Stade
Pool B: Argentina, South Africa, France, and Japan
Pool C: Fiji, Great Britain, Uruguay, and Kenya
Pool D: Australia, Ireland, Canada, and Chile
Tournament Favourites
New Zealand | Vancouver 2022 Finish: Sixth
The Kiwis claimed their second tournament win of the campaign as they followed up their victory in Sydney by claiming the inaugural Los Angeles title this past weekend.
The New Zealanders started their Los Angeles title run rather slowly beating invitational side Chile 26-7 and tournament hosts the United States 36-15. They then finished/ their pool phase off with a 7-14 defeat to Samoa.
They’d kick into gear during the play-off phase, however, beating Great Britain 12-24 and neighbours Australia 33-17. It was onto the final against Argentina after that. They registered a comfortable win in that one scoring 17 unanswered points in the first half and a further five in the second to beat the South Americans 12-22.
Leroy Carter was the star of the show for them in that final as he grabbed two tries while Brady Rush and Moses Leo bagged a try a piece.
South Africa | Vancouver 2022 Finish: Fifth
The Blitzboks had a tournament to forget in Los Angeles as they could only muster up a sixth place finish. Their injury ravaged squad really struggled Stateside as they went down 5-10 to Uruguay and 5-14 to Ireland during the Pool phase.
Their wretched form would carry over to the play-offs phase as they were beaten 28-7 by Fiji and then hammered 45-7 by Samoa in the Fifth place play-off.
The injury list keeps on piling up for the South Africans with South Africa 7s A players Noegh Hayward and Gurshwin Wehr pushed up to the main squad after Jaiden Barron and Masande Mtshali were ruled out of the Vancouver 7s due to head knocks. They are joined on the treatment bench by former Springbok Travis Ismael who sustained a hamstring injury on debut in Los Angeles.
Fiji | Vancouver 2022 Finish: Runners-Up
As has been the case for the Fijians for most of the season, Los Angeles saw them produce a mixed bag in the play-off phase. They enjoyed a solid pool phase beating Japan 50-0, Kenya 19-5 and Australia 15-12.
They started the play-off phase with a solid showing as they beat South Africa 28-7. They then went down 20-17 to eventual finalists Argentina. They managed to bounce back in the 3rd/4th Play-Off as they beat Australia 21-19 to claim their second third place finish of the campaign.
Dark Horse
Argentina | Vancouver 2022 Finish: Champions
Los Pumas had a solid tournament in Los Angeles finishing as runners-up, which saw them move to second place on the World Series standings.
This lofty finish didn’t look likely after their first game in which they were beaten 7-5 by Great Britain. Argentina upped the ante after that loss, however, finishing their pool phase campaign with wins over France (12-17) and Spain (19-7).
They were of great value in the play-offs as well, beating a red-hot Samoan outfit 12-19 and Fiji 20-17. The final would prove a bridge too far for the South Americans as they were comfortably beaten by New Zealand.
Verdict: Argentina
I’m going for a bit of value here and backing Argentina to replicate their 2021 feat in Canada and claim another Vancouver 7’s title.
