USA embracing ‘pressure’ in final event before World Championship

USA Women’s Sevens co-captain Kristi Kirshe is embracing the pressure that comes with this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Series stop in Singapore. With a different format making every contest a “must-win” game, Kirshe is looking forward to the final event before the World Championship in LA.

Singapore’s National Stadium will once again host the regular season finale on the SVNS Series, with Argentina’s men’s side and the Black Ferns Sevens from New Zealand in strong positions to take out league titles for the second season on the bounce.

Unlike last weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens, the 12 women’s and men’s teams have been spread across four pools instead of three. The stakes couldn’t be higher with only the pool winners progressing to the semi-finals, while the others are left to battle it out for rankings.

LA’s Dignity Health Sports Park will host the World Championship and SVNS Series playoffs on May 3-4. Don’t miss out – buy your tickets HERE.

Ahead of the winner-takes-all World Championship at Los Angeles’s Dignity Health Sports Park on May 3-4, this event in Singapore is a great test for all teams as they prepare to either charge for the overall SVNS Series title or fend off relegation by retaining core status.

New Zealand, Australia, France, Canada, the USA and Japan have secured their spot in the top eight for the World Championship, while Fiji, Great Britain and Brazil continue to fight for the final two spots up for grabs.

“I think this whole year has been a learning process for us, and I think with every tournament we’ve seen the things that we’ve done well,” Kirshe said when asked about the World Championship which will be held in the United States for the first time.

“I think this is a really great stage to try and put everything together before we get into LA, so that by the time we’re in LA, we are firing on all cylinders.

“We’re trying to look at it as a big picture,” she added later. “We’re learning and growing from every tournament. Just trying to really put together the things that we’re focused on putting together this weekend so that we are in a good platform to then take off for LA.”

The USA will take on North American rivals Canada in a blockbuster Pool C clash on Saturday, but don’t sleep on Great Britain who are more than capable of an upset or two. Canada are coming off a hard-fought third-placed finish in Hong Kong China.

In the other pools, New Zealand will come up against Brazil – a side they played twice in Hong Kong – and China in pool A. Australia will take on Japan and Spain in Pool B, while France, Fiji and Ireland prepare to go to sevens battle in Pool D.

“I actually wasn’t there when we played it in Cape Town so it’s my first time playing it,” Kirshe explained at the iconic Clifford Pier in Singapore.

“The way we look at it is we have two quarterfinals. The two games, they really are quarterfinals, they’re must-win.

“I think it’s a good way to inject pressure into the team and teach the team how to perform under pressure.

“It’s also an exciting opportunity. You win those two games and you’re basically through to the semifinals so it’s an exciting opportunity and I also think it’s a good injection of pressure and a good way to train under pressure.”

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USA Women’s Sevens roster for Singapore

Ariana Ramsey, Kayla Canett, Alena Olsen, Kristi Kirshe (c), Rachel Strasdas, Spiff Sedrick (c), Autumn LoCicero, Sammy Sullivan, Su Adegoke, Sariah Ibarra, Hann Humphreys, Alyssa Porter, Nia Toliver.