The SVNS 3 tournament for the 2026-27 HSBC SVNS season was confirmed earlier this week, with a bumper weekend of fun in the sun set to occur in the final weekend of November.

Running alongside the HSBC SVNS Series opener, the chasing pack of regional sevens tournament winners will be playing for the chance to move up to SVNS 2 in January: with Olympic and SVNS World Championship qualification also in the mix.

RugbyPass breaks down the key talking points following the announcement, and which teams have the potential to qualify for the next level.

Tiered format shows promise

It’s crazy to think that the first iteration of the SVNS 3 tournament was only in January this year, yet the promise shown for this format to expose rising nations to higher levels of sevens rugby speaks volumes that fans will see a second weekend this year.

The confidence in SVNS 3 is for good reason, with the 2025-26 iteration seeing two sides make it all the way from SVNS 3 to the SVNS World Championship: South Africa Women and Argentina Women.

The success of those two sides would have likely impressed the powers that be at World Rugby, showing that the tiered format can lead to rapid improvement.

Those two sides will be likely starting their season in SVNS 2 this year – and with the 2026 season under their belts will be in a better position to push for SVNS Series qualification; but should a SVNS 3 side get on a similar run, it makes the upcoming SVNS 2 tournament more intriguing.

New arrivals

At the time of writing, 11 teams have been confirmed to take the field in Dubai, starting with Hong Kong China, Canada, Italy, Chile, Zimbabwe and Samoa in the men’s competition.

While several sides also appeared in last year’s tournament, the injection of Chile and Zimbabwe as new arrivals is set to turn a few heads, given the promise both sides have shown in their respective regional tournaments.

The women’s competition is awaiting one more side to confirm their place, with China, Mexico, Poland, Colombia and Samoa all vying for SVNS 2 qualification.

With China having made it to SVNS 2 last year before finishing in last place, the side will look to bounce back after a promising regional campaign, which saw them finish as runners up to Japan – but ask plenty of questions of the SVNS Series side.

With new teams in abundance in both tournaments, the opportunities come for more developing nations to press their case, and great stories in the form of rising rugby nations like the Germany men’s side making the SVNS World Championship format.

Olympic qualification

Hanging over the SNVS 3 format this season as well as the chance for higher honours in the HSBC SVNS format is the chance to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The sides in SVNS 3 will be viewing their time in this tournament as critical, with the opportunity to play against higher level opposition a chance that cannot afford to be missed.

With the Olympics one of the highest mountains players can ascend to in the sevens format, even making qualification for LA would be massive for any developing sevens program, even if a side doesn’t end up on the podium.

The promise of Olympic qualification will likely add extra colour to both SVNS 3 and SVNS 2 over the next few months, as sides look to put their best form out on the paddock.

Party in the desert

Lastly, with Dubai Sevens being one of the biggest events on the sevens calendar, the decision to also run SVNS 3 concurrently only adds to the occasion in the desert.

Fans will have the chance to not only see the current best sides in the world at The Sevens Stadium, but also get a first hand look at the sides looking to make it to the highest level.

The experience will also be a valuable one for the SVNS 3 sides, giving them a perfect opportunity to size up the best in the world and see the small things they do that make them such dangerous outfits.

It will make the final weekend of November a true festival of rugby in the desert – one that fans will flock to from all over the world, and a bucket list event for any international sevens player.