1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
# 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. The final is considered to be one of the best sevens matches of all time.

## Participating nations

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

| Pool A  England  Canada  Zimbabwe | Pool B  Romania  Australia  Scotland | Pool C  New Zealand  Japan  Tonga | Pool D  Fiji  Portugal  Hong Kong |
| - | - | - | - |
| Pool E  France  United States  South Korea | Pool F  Spain  Cook Islands  Morocco | Pool G  Ireland  Argentina  South Africa | Pool H  Namibia  Samoa  Wales |

## 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-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Japan | 24 | | | |
| Japan | 24 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | |
| Namibia | 22 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | |
| Namibia | 22 | Japan | 24 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | Japan | 24 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Ireland | 22 | |
| Portugal | 5 | Ireland | 22 | |
| Portugal | 5 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong |
| Ireland | 33 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong |
| Ireland | 33 | | | | Japan | 28 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | | | Japan | 28 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | | United States | 40 |
| United States | 24 | | | | United States | 40 |
| United States | 24 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Canada | 21 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Canada | 21 | United States | 24 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | United States | 24 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Morocco | 0 | |
| Zimbabwe | 12 | Morocco | 0 | |
| Morocco | 19 | | | |

**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-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Spain | 0 | | | |
| Spain | 0 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | |
| Cook Islands | 36 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | |
| Cook Islands | 36 | Cook Islands | 10 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | Cook Islands | 10 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Tonga | 43 | |
| Wales | 12 | Tonga | 43 | |
| Wales | 12 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong |
| Tonga | 26 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong |
| Tonga | 26 | | | | Tonga | 40 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | | | Tonga | 40 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | | Hong Kong | 19 |
| Argentina | 2 | | | | Hong Kong | 19 |
| Argentina | 2 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Hong Kong | 26 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | | |
| Hong Kong | 26 | Hong Kong | 43 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | | Hong Kong | 43 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | Scotland | 7 | |
| Scotland | 43 | Scotland | 7 | |
| Romania | 19 | | | |

**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-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | | |
| Fiji | 56 | | | |
| Fiji | 56 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | |
| South Korea | 0 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | |
| South Korea | 0 | Fiji | 38 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | Fiji | 38 | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | Western Samoa | 14 | |
| England | 5 | Western Samoa | 14 | |
| England | 5 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium |
| Western Samoa | 21 | | | | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium |
| Western Samoa | 21 | | | | Fiji | 24 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | | | | Fiji | 24 |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | | | South Africa | 21 |
| South Africa | 19 | | | | South Africa | 21 |
| South Africa | 19 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | | |
| France | 14 | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | | |
| France | 14 | South Africa | 31 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | | South Africa | 31 | | | |
| 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | 23 May – Hong Kong Stadium | New Zealand | 7 | |
| New Zealand | 40 | New Zealand | 7 | |
| Australia | 12 | | | |

**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
