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
Tournament details
Host nation British Hong Kong
Dates21 March – 23 March
No. of nations24
Champions  Fiji
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

21 March 1997
15:41
POOL A
Zimbabwe  42 7  Canada

21 March 1997
18:51
POOL A
England  26 7  Zimbabwe

Pool B

21 March 1997
13:20
POOL B
Australia  19 19  Scotland

21 March 1997
16:03
POOL B
Romania  14 26  Scotland

21 March 1997
19:10
POOL B
Australia  38 7  Romania

Pool C

21 March 1997
13:40
POOL C
New Zealand  47 14  Japan

21 March 1997
16:21
POOL C
Tonga  35 7  Japan

21 March 1997
19:30
POOL C
New Zealand  21 7  Tonga

Pool D

21 March 1997
14:00
POOL D
Fiji  59 0  Portugal

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

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

Pool E

21 March 1997
14:20
POOL E
France  35 5  United States

21 March 1997
17:00
POOL E
South Korea  7 33  United States

21 March 1997
20:10
POOL E
France  38 5  South Korea

Pool F

21 March 1997
14:40
POOL F
Spain  26 5  Morocco

21 March 1997
17:19
POOL F
Cook Islands  31 17  Morocco

21 March 1997
20:30
POOL F
Spain  31 12  Cook Islands

Pool G

21 March 1997
15:00
POOL G
South Africa  45 7  Argentina

21 March 1997
17:40
POOL G
Ireland  22 31  Argentina

21 March 1997
20:50
POOL G
South Africa  38 5  Ireland

Pool H

21 March 1997
15:20
POOL H
Western Samoa  48 5  Namibia

21 March 1997
18:32
POOL H
Wales  12 12  Namibia

21 March 1997
21:10
POOL H
Western Samoa  26 24  Wales

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

22 March 1997
13:40
Wales  40 5  Namibia

22 March 1997
16:19
Fiji  35 0  Wales

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

22 March 1997
13:59
Hong Kong  26 5  Ireland

22 March 1997
16:39
South Africa  29 5  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

22 March 1997
14:19
Argentina  33 7  Morocco

22 March 1997
16:58
Western Samoa  28 12  Argentina

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

22 March 1997
14:38
United States  12 17  Romania

22 March 1997
17:19
France  40 7  United States

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

22 March 1997
14:59
Tonga  35 26  Japan

22 March 1997
17:41
New Zealand  31 5  Tonga

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

22 March 1997
15:20
Cook Islands  5 0  Canada

22 March 1997
18:00
England  29 10  Cook Islands

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

22 March 1997
15:39
Zimbabwe  10 21  South Korea

22 March 1997
18:19
Spain  19 12  Zimbabwe

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

22 March 1997
15:59
Scotland  28 7  Portugal

22 March 1997
18:38
Australia  31 19  Scotland

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

23 March 1997
10:22
Portugal  5 33  Ireland

23 March 1997
10:42
United States  24 21  Canada

23 March 1997
11:02
Zimbabwe  12 19  Morocco

Semi Finals

23 March 1997
14:52
Japan  24 22  Ireland

23 March 1997
15:12
United States  24 0  Morocco

Final

23 March 1997
16:51
Japan  28 40  United States

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

23 March 1997
11:40
Wales  12 26  Tonga

23 March 1997
12:00
Argentina  2 26  Hong Kong

23 March 1997
12:20
Scotland  43 19  Romania

Semi Finals

23 March 1997
15:30
Cook Islands  10 43  Tonga

23 March 1997
15:51
Hong Kong  43 7  Scotland

Final

23 March 1997
17:25
Tonga  40 19  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

23 March 1997
13:54
England  5 21  Western Samoa

23 March 1997
14:14
South Africa  19 14  France

23 March 1997
14:32
New Zealand  40 12  Australia

Semi Finals

23 March 1997
16:11
Fiji  38 14  Western Samoa

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

Final

23 March 1997
18:00
Fiji  24 21  South Africa

 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
1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens final: South Africa v Fiji on YouTube
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