The HSBC SVNS Series travels the globe to iconic stops like Dubai, Cape Town, and Singapore. From Friday, March 13, to Sunday, March 15, the world’s best rugby players finally arrived in our backyard. This was the first time the series ever visited the New York City area. Our kids were right in the middle of the action for every bit of it.
Friday, March 13: Grassroots Inspiration at PS 111
We kicked off the weekend in Manhattan at PS 111 with over 120 students. As NYC native and USA Eagle Su Adegoke said, “New York and sevens are the same: fast-paced, intense, and everyone brings their own style.” Our 4th and 5th-graders proved her right.
They ran drills with Olympic Bronze Medalist Naya Tapper, USA legend Todd Clever, and Connor Wallace Sims. Program Director Chris Mattina noted that the focus was to show these kids they have direct access to real-life heroes and leaders in the rugby community. Naya spent time signing autographs and sharing the experience of winning her bronze medal. It was a day dedicated to showing our players that these stars started exactly where they are now.
Saturday, March 14: Chasing Olympic Dreams
On Saturday, 40 of our youth players walked onto the grass at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Our crew got a private clinic with Olympians Abby Gustitis and Krissy Scurfield, plus Super Bowl champ Nate Ebner.
Chris Mattina described the energy as incredible. The kids were ecstatic to play touch rugby on the actual stadium grass with their idols. Walking away with signed mini-balls was a huge hit, but the real win was the “core memories” made on that pitch. For Chris, seeing the kids run around with HSBC Ambassadors was a clear sign of the program’s growth.
Sunday, March 15: The “Big Lift”
Sunday provided the big finale for five of our players. Elena, Alwande, Charlie, Eliott, and Marcelo were chosen as official HSBC Ball Carriers. They had the honor of running the match balls out for the championship finals, including the Men’s and Women’s Cup Finals.
The standout moment happened right before the Men’s Cup Final. Alwande was out on the field when the Fiji Men’s Team picked him up and lifted him into the air. For them to share that kind of respect with a young player from our program is something Alwande will never forget.
As Chris put it, his goal is to create high-impact experiences that inspire these kids to love the game for a lifetime. By placing our players directly in the middle of the world stage, we’ve shown them that they belong in this global community. Seeing the world’s best players embrace our kids in front of a New York crowd proved that the bridge between NYC grassroots rugby programs and the global stage is officially open. It was a historic moment!