Fijians and Kiwis eager to defend Singapore titles at HSBC SVNS Singapore 2026

SINGAPORE – Growing up in Fiji, Jeremaia Matana has experienced first-hand the pride that the national rugby team bring to the Pacific Islanders.

As a fan and youth player, he witnessed the national sevens side savour several high moments, such as gold medal glory at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup.

Matana himself, who was part of the Fijian side who won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, wants to lead the current generation to a major triumph of their own and the men’s captain is targeting the SVNS Championship this campaign.

The last time the Fijians were crowned the SVNS world champions was during the 2018-19 edition and Matana, 27, is aware that retaining their Singapore crown could go a long way in announcing themselves as title contenders.

The Flying Fijians are eager to win back-to-back titles at the Jan 31-Feb 1 HSBC SVNS Singapore after they sealed a 21-12 victory over Kenya in the cup final in April 2025.

After two out of six Division One rounds of the HSBC SVNS series, South Africa, winners in the Cape Town event, Dubai champions New Zealand, and Fiji, who finished third in both legs, are joint-top on 32 points in the eight-team standings.

Speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines of the HSBC SVNS Singapore launch at Conrad Singapore Marina Bay, Matana said: “Growing up in Fiji, I have watched my heroes and they’ve won trophies. They won the world series and they’ve lifted many trophies around the world.

“So winning the series this year, it means a lot to us, to me, to my family and to the people of Fiji.”

He added: “We have a great chance of winning the series since we are on the right track. The plan is to have a go in Singapore and then we can leap (over) New Zealand and South Africa.”

In the women’s competition, New Zealand are looking for a hat-trick of titles, having beaten Australia 31-7 to retain their Singapore crown in 2025 and take their winning streak in the Republic to 10 matches.

Risi Pouri-Lane, New Zealand women’s captain, declared: “We are here to win, there’s no doubt about that. Singapore is a very unique stop for us. There is a feeling of excitement as we return to the iconic National Stadium at The Kallang.”

This weekend’s tournament in Singapore is part of a new-look SVNS series which now has a three-tier regular season and an increased number of events, in a bid to make it more competitive and cost-effective.

The number of teams in the 2026 World Series has been cut from 12 to eight, while they are now 13 instead of 10 events for the series across the three divisions.

Below the top division, six teams will compete across three events in Division Two. The top four sides will then join the Division One teams in the season finale to determine the world champions. Division Three will be a standalone challenger event with eight teams.

The season concludes with three World Championship Series events, each featuring 12 men and women’s teams, to crown the annual overall champions.

But the changes have meant fewer matches. In 2025, there were 48 matches across two days, while the 2026 edition will see 40 matches played.

Jerry Tuwai, 36, former Fiji sevens captain and a two-time Olympic gold medallist, bemoaned the absence of the “underdogs” in the top division, which limits the chances of surprises in the SVNS series.

He recalled how Kenya won the 2016 Singapore Sevens title in sensational fashion, beating Fiji 30-7 to lift a first-ever cup title.

Kenya, Uruguay, Ireland and the United States were the four men’s teams relegated to Division Two at the end of the 2024-25 season. The relegated women’s teams were Brazil, China, Ireland and Spain.

Tuwai said: “The (new) format is competitive but I want more teams to be involved like before. It makes it exciting for the crowds. It’s more worth it for the crowd.

“We have core teams in the series but the crowd loves to see an underdog beat the best. We need to bring that excitement back.”

While a weekend of world-class rugby and entertainment awaits, some fans have voiced their unhappiness with the ticket prices.

James Batt, 24, a grassroots rugby coach, said: “With tickets going for about $170, it is quite expensive for people in my age group.

“A lot of my friends who go to the SVNS every year are not going this time as they feel like they have been priced out. Previously, there would also be plenty of communication around discount codes for local clubs but that has been lacking too.”

Yazed Osman, group head, events and placemaking and place management of The Kallang Group said that the key focus for HSBC SVNS Singapore 2026 is to “deliver an inclusive, holistic and fun weekend of rugby that reflects Singapore’s unique positioning as the family SVNS”.

He added that this year’s ticketing system was “developed in close consultation with World Rugby, with the aim of encouraging families and younger fans to experience the tournament together” and that new family bundles were introduced for the 2026 edition.

According to Yazed, the early bird price for the “two adults plus three youths” bundle was $169 for two days, “which averages out to $16.90 per person per day”. He added that this represents lower costs compared to 2025 for a family of five, to encourage more families to attend together.

Early bird ticket prices for 2026 started from $29 for youths (aged 4-17), $59 for adults with family packages (two adults + one child) available from $139.20. Prices for general sales start at $49 for youths, $79 for adults and $179.10 for family packages (two adults + one child). The prices are for two days, Jan 31 and Feb 1.

The 2025 edition saw tickets start at $15.50 for children (aged 5-16) and $84 for adults.

Besides the top sevens stars, fans can look forward to seeing the Singapore players in action in the South-east Asian 7s, which will be staged alongside the main event during the weekend.

Thailand will be defending the men’s title while Singapore are eyeing back-to-back success in the women’s competition.

The SEA 7s finals will be held at the National Stadium on Jan 31, with the pool matches taking place at the Singapore Recreation Club on Jan 30.