Canadian women finish 8th at Dubai 7s, Australia claims 5th straight title

A Canadian comeback fell just short Sunday in a 24-22 loss to Japan in the women's seventh-place game at the Emirates Dubai Sevens.

Trailing 24-10, Savannah Bauder — the U Sports women's rugby player of the year with UBC in 2023 — scored two late tries but it was not enough for Canada, which also got tries from Carissa Norsten and captain Piper Logan. Asia Hogan-Rochester added a conversion.

The Olympic silver medallist Canadian women dropped into the seventh-place game after being blanked 39-0 by Australia in quarterfinal play earlier Sunday.

The Dubai stop is the first of seven on the 2025 HSBC SVNS season.

Top-seeded Australia downed No. 3 New Zealand 28-24 in the final for its fifth straight Dubai women's title, outscoring the opposition 220-43 in six matches over the weekend. France beat Britain 15-12 to finish third.

Two-time Olympic champion Fiji defeated upstart Spain 19-5 in the men's final to complete its unbeaten run at the Sevens Stadium. It marked the Pacific Islanders' first HSBC SVNS win since 2022.

Women: New Zealand, Australia, France, United States, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, Brazil, Spain and China.

Men: Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, France, Fiji, South Africa, Britain, United States, Spain, Uruguay and Kenya.

Nov. 20-Dec. 1, 2024: Dubai, Sevens Stadium.

Dec. 7-8: Cape Town, DHL Stadium.

Jan. 24-26: Perth, Australia, HBF Park.

Feb. 21-23: Vancouver, B.C. Place Stadium.

March 28-20: Hong Kong, Kai Tak Stadium.

April 5-6: Singapore, National Stadium.

May 3-4: Los Angeles, Dignity Health Sports Park.