1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens

The 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament and the first to be held in Hong Kong. It was the last major sporting event to be held in the then British dependency before the transfer of sovereignty to China which took place just three months later. Fiji defeated South Africa 24–21 to take the title for the first time.[1] The final is considered to be one of the best sevens matches of all time.

1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
1997年橄欖球七人欖球賽
Tournament details
Host nation British Hong Kong
Dates21 March – 23 March
No. of nations24
Final positions
Champions  Fiji
Runner-up  South Africa
Tournament statistics
Top scorer(s)Waisale Serevi  Fiji (117 pts)
Marika Vunibaka  Fiji (12 tries)
1993
2001

Participating nations

The twenty four teams were divided into eight pools of three as follows:

Pool A

Pool B

Pool C

Pool D

Pool E

Pool F

Pool G

Pool H

Squads

Day 1 results

Pool A

21 March 1997
13:00
POOL A
England 33 12 Canada
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
15:41
POOL A
Zimbabwe 42 7 Canada
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
18:51
POOL A
England 26 7 Zimbabwe
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool B

21 March 1997
13:20
POOL B
Australia 19 19 Scotland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
16:03
POOL B
Romania 14 26 Scotland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
19:10
POOL B
Australia 38 7 Romania
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool C

21 March 1997
13:40
POOL C
New Zealand 47 14 Japan
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
16:21
POOL C
Tonga 35 7 Japan
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
19:30
POOL C
New Zealand 21 7 Tonga
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool D

21 March 1997
14:00
POOL D
Fiji 59 0 Portugal
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
16:40
POOL D
Hong Kong 33 12 Portugal
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
19:50
POOL D
Fiji 45 0 Hong Kong
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool E

21 March 1997
14:20
POOL E
France 35 5 United States
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
17:00
POOL E
South Korea 7 33 United States
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
20:10
POOL E
France 38 5 South Korea
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool F

21 March 1997
14:40
POOL F
Spain 26 5 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
17:19
POOL F
Cook Islands 31 17 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
20:30
POOL F
Spain 31 12 Cook Islands
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool G

21 March 1997
15:00
POOL G
South Africa 45 7 Argentina
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
17:40
POOL G
Ireland 22 31 Argentina
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
20:50
POOL G
South Africa 38 5 Ireland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool H

21 March 1997
15:20
POOL H
Western Samoa 48 5 Namibia
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
18:32
POOL H
Wales 12 12 Namibia
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

21 March 1997
21:10
POOL H
Western Samoa 26 24 Wales
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Seedings after Day 1

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Seed Day 2 Pool
 Fiji 220010401041A2
 South Africa 22008312712B2
 Western Samoa 22007429453C2
 France 22007310634D2
 New Zealand 22006821475E2
 England 22005919406F2
 Spain 22005717407G2
 Australia 21105726318H2
 Scotland 21104533129H2
 Zimbabwe 210149331610G2
 Cook Islands 21014348-511F2
 Tonga 210142281412E2
 United States 21013842-413D2
 Argentina 21013867-2914C2
 Hong Kong 21013357-2415B2
 Wales 20113638-216A2
 Namibia 20111760-4317A2
 Ireland 20022769-4218B2
 Morocco 20022257-3519C2
 Romania 20022164-4320D2
 Japan 20022182-6121E2
 Canada 20021975-5622F2
 South Korea 20021271-5923G2
 Portugal 20021292-8024H2

Day 2 results

Key to colours in group tables
Team that progressed to the Cup Quarter-finals (also indicated in bold type)
Team that progressed to the Plate Quarter-finals (also indicated in bold italics)
Team that progressed to the Bowl Quarter-finals (also indicated in plain italics)

All times Hong Kong time (UTC+1)

Pool A

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 Fiji 220010101016
 Wales 2101404004
 Namibia 20025106-1012
22 March 1997
10:59
Fiji 66 0 Namibia
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
13:40
Wales 40 5 Namibia
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
16:19
Fiji 35 0 Wales
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool B

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 South Africa 22006312516
 Hong Kong 21013134-34
 Ireland 20021260-482
22 March 1997
11:19
South Africa 34 7 Ireland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
13:59
Hong Kong 26 5 Ireland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
16:39
South Africa 29 5 Hong Kong
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool C

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 Western Samoa 22007012586
 Argentina 21014535104
 Morocco 2002775-682
22 March 1997
11:39
Western Samoa 42 0 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
14:19
Argentina 33 7 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
16:58
Western Samoa 28 12 Argentina
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool D

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 France 2200737666
 Romania 21011745-284
 United States 20021957-382
22 March 1997
12:00
France 33 0 Romania
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
14:38
United States 12 17 Romania
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
17:19
France 40 7 United States
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool E

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 New Zealand 2200785736
 Tonga 21014057-174
 Japan 20022682-562
22 March 1997
12:19
New Zealand 47 0 Japan
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
14:59
Tonga 35 26 Japan
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
17:41
New Zealand 31 5 Tonga
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool F

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 England 22005917426
 Cook Islands 21011529-144
 Canada 2002735-282
22 March 1997
12:38
England 30 7 Canada
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
15:20
Cook Islands 5 0 Canada
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
18:00
England 29 10 Cook Islands
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool G

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 South Korea 21103322115
 Spain 2110312475
 Zimbabwe 20022240-182
22 March 1997
12:59
Spain 12 12 South Korea
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
15:39
Zimbabwe 10 21 South Korea
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
18:19
Spain 19 12 Zimbabwe
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Pool H

Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 Australia 22005726316
 Scotland 2101473894
 Portugal 20021454-402
22 March 1997
13:19
Australia 26 7 Portugal
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
15:59
Scotland 28 7 Portugal
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

22 March 1997
18:38
Australia 31 19 Scotland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Day 3 - Knockout results

Bowl

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 
 Japan24
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Namibia22
 
 Japan24
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Ireland22
 
 Portugal5
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Ireland33
 
 Japan28
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 United States40
 
 United States24
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Canada21
 
 United States24
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Morocco0
 
 Zimbabwe12
 
 
 Morocco19
 

Quarter-finals

23 March 1997
10:00
Japan 24 22 Namibia
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
10:22
Portugal 5 33 Ireland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
10:42
United States 24 21 Canada
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
11:02
Zimbabwe 12 19 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Semi-finals

23 March 1997
14:52
Japan 24 22 Ireland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
15:12
United States 24 0 Morocco
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Final

23 March 1997
16:51
Japan 28 40 United States
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Plate

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 
 Spain0
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Cook Islands36
 
 Cook Islands10
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Tonga43
 
 Wales12
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Tonga26
 
 Tonga40
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Hong Kong19
 
 Argentina2
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Hong Kong26
 
 Hong Kong43
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
 
 Scotland7
 
 Scotland43
 
 
 Romania19
 

Quarter-finals

23 March 1997
11:21
Spain 0 36 Cook Islands
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
11:40
Wales 12 26 Tonga
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
12:00
Argentina 2 26 Hong Kong
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
12:20
Scotland 43 19 Romania
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Semi-finals

23 March 1997
15:30
Cook Islands 10 43 Tonga
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

23 March 1997
15:51
Hong Kong 43 7 Scotland
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Final

23 March 1997
17:25
Tonga 40 19 Hong Kong
Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong

Cup

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 
 Fiji56
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 South Korea0
 
 Fiji38
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Western Samoa14
 
 England5
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 Western Samoa21
 
 Fiji24
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 South Africa21
 
 South Africa19
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 France14
 
 South Africa31
 
23 May – Hong Kong Stadium
 
 New Zealand7
 
 New Zealand40
 
 
 Australia12
 

Quarter-finals

23 March 1997
13:33
Fiji 56 0 South Korea
Hong Kong Stadium

23 March 1997
13:54
England 5 21 Western Samoa
Hong Kong Stadium

23 March 1997
14:14
South Africa 19 14 France
Hong Kong Stadium

23 March 1997
14:32
New Zealand 40 12 Australia
Hong Kong Stadium

Semi-finals

23 March 1997
16:11
Fiji 38 14 Western Samoa
Hong Kong Stadium

23 March 1997
16:32
South Africa 31 7 New Zealand
Hong Kong Stadium

Final

23 March 1997
18:00
Fiji 24 21 South Africa
Hong Kong Stadium

 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens champions 

Fiji
First title

See also

References

  1. Mick Cleary and John Griffiths, ed. (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997–98. London: Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 0-7472-7732-X.
External video
video icon 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens final: South Africa v Fiji on YouTube
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