Thrilling weekend of Sevens rugby
New Zealand Sevens fans got the perfect 21st birthday gift as the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens won the men’s and women’s titles at the 2020 HSBC New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton.
The home team’s dual titles capped a thrilling weekend with a costume-wearing crowd of nearly 20,000 and the party at FMG Stadium as the heat hit over 30 degrees.
The Black Ferns ran away with an historic first 2020 HSBC New Zealand Sevens women’s trophy by overcoming Canada 24-7 in the Cup final, while the All Blacks Sevens beat France 27-5.
The Sevens will leave Hamilton for 2021, held in another New Zealand city for a one-off tournament, before returning to
Hamilton in 2022, and then Fiji in 2023.
HSBC New Zealand Sevens General Manager Steve Dunbar said the intensity of the respective finals had been a fitting finale for the 21st tournament.
“We had 18,000 on Saturday, and nearly 20,000 on Sunday, near-perfect weather and two extremely popular champions who had to really fight hard for their titles, so we couldn’t have asked for much more.”
The 12-team women’s draw was the first fully integrated men’s and women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament on New Zealand soil.
“We are proud of the fact we’ve made history for women’s rugby and when you consider we’ve attracted sell-out crowds in 2018 and 2019 we are pretty pleased overall.
“I think everyone would agree Hamilton has set a very high bar.”
37 South Managing Director and co-promoter Dallas Fisher said the past three years had showed the value of catering to a wide variety of event goers.
“What a fitting way to cap off three incredibly successful events in Hamilton. We’ve had the support of the city and the community all the way and we can’t wait to come back in 2022.”
New Zealand’s on-field success saw both the Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens extend their respective lead at the top of the World Sevens Series women’s and men’s standings.
Fiji’s loyal army of fans were again added their voice and colour to the stands despite their men’s team missing out on the semifinals. The HBSC World Sevens Series now moves to Sydney.