We are just a few days from the 7s Championship Series climax, with Split awaiting patiently for the arrival of our 24 competitors.
After the Hamburg 7s leg, Germany leads in the men’s division, having convincingly defeated France in the final, with Italy and Belgium taking 3rd and 4th place. As for the women’s, France took the win at home with Poland, Belgium and Spain trailing behind.
With the scene having been set, what can fans expect from their teams? Who will conquer the right to sit upon the throne of the Men’s and Women’s side of the Series?
While these questions will remain unanswered for now, we can share some insights from the German men’s and Belgian women’s camps. Felix Hufnagel, the Player of the Tournament of Hamburg 7s, and Margaux Stevins shared a bit of their time to help us build a preview ahead of Split.
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Margaux, it is great to have you here with us, talking about the 7s Championship Series. Belgium looked fresh and powerful, claiming the 3rd place in Hamburg. How did you pull that off?
Margaux Stevins. I can say that the work we have done in the last five months has felt like three years’ worth of work. We are a young team, as several youth players have ascended to the senior side in the last two/three years. After that time, it was important for us to get a good result as we were able to in Hamburg, so it shows that we are progressing.
While you weren’t able to qualify for the SVNS Championship this year, it seems the team has grown, looking more menacing for the opposition. Can you tell us what happened since last year?
MS. We went through a tough time in the last few years. We changed coaching staff in 2025 but failed to qualify for the SVNS Challenger Series. Then, when we were getting back on our feet, Warren Abrahams passed away, and it was traumatic for us.
So, we had to work on getting back to a good psychological level. The team stuck together, staying connected, which has made it possible to enjoy our rugby and perform at a high level. Those trying times are behind us, but we will never forget them. It is part of our legacy and gives us strength.
Can you tell us how important head coach Terry Bourahoua has been to your development?
MS. Terry Bourahoua has been a really big part of our performance in Hamburg. He came in January and progressively got us in a good place. We worked a lot on honing our skills and fighting until the end. He really made a difference and understood the team. His coaching is really perfect, as he has struck a great balance within the team, making great use of our superpowers.
For fans at home who have not watched your team play, can you try to define the Belgium women’s 7s team in three words?
MS. We are very skilful players. We like to exchange the ball and keep the pace up. We are also a very patient side, as we don’t rush things when we can't make a break. We wait for the right moment to pounce, and then it is all gas and no pedals!
Split will be not only the Series decider but also the way to qualify teams for next year’s European Games. Are you excited about the prospect of competing in one of the biggest sports events of the year?
MS. We are not looking that far ahead, as our goal is to finish in the top half of the standings. We just want to play and deliver memorable performances that make us and our community proud. I’m not saying that we aren’t looking forward to the European Games, because we are, but Split comes first!
Having claimed the bronze medal at Hamburg, can you guys go the extra mile and qualify for the Split 7s final? Is that something that you think about?
MS. We have to be focused on ourselves and what we can control. In Hamburg, our mindset was step by step, game by game, and we will see how it ends. We know we are in the race to qualify for the SVNS 3, but we can’t lose our focus as we need to be in the same spot mentally.
Before we wrap up, do you want to share a message to rugby fans who are eager to watch and support Belgium come Friday?
MS. We want to show that Belgium can compete with the best teams in Europe and in the world. We believe in the work we are doing and trust the process. Those were our guidelines in Hamburg for the past 6 months. We are in a process, and we are doing it well.
Germany and the chance to become European champions
Felix, let’s congratulate you and your team again for what you did in the Hamburg 7s! How remarkable was it for all of you?
Felix Hufnagel. It was incredibly amazing what we pulled in front of our home crowd. We had a long season, lots of learning, so getting to Hamburg, performing at that level, and winning is a weekend we won’t ever forget. We watched a few of the games and couldn’t believe how well the team performed in defence and in the supporting play.
Did you all think you were going to win it from the very start? What was the vibe before the final?
FH. We went to the final feeling quite confident. We weren’t afraid of losing it as we had performed to a high standard throughout the whole tournament. It was my first Championship 7s Series final and one that I won’t ever forget!
As for yourself, you put on a great show for all to watch. As you were the Player of the Tournament, can you pick your favourite ‘me’ moment of that first let?
“The semifinal with Belgium was quite a ‘wow’ moment for me, as I ended up scoring all the points of that match. It felt almost like a movie!”
We had the chance to watch some seriously stunning rugby from Germany for the past three years, looking sharp and menacing at every turn. But tell us how you would define Germany men’s 7s?
FH. The first word has to be hungry, as we always want more and will do whatever we can to achieve our goals. We are also a driven and young team that wants to shock and awe the 7s scene!
Germany fought to the end for the chance to join the SVNS Championship. Despite not ending in the way that you wanted, the team looked good. What’s your view on the last 12 months? And what comes next?
FH. We came quite close to becoming a core SVNS Championship team, but at times we didn’t perform as well as we could. That’s the goal for Split and the future: to maintain the same performance level throughout the year. We want to do well in the Rugby Europe Championship Series, SVNS and, of course, the European Games.
Split is on the horizon now, and before we go on to talk about Germany’s chance of becoming the men’s Series champions, let’s dive into the European Games. Are you guys already thinking about it?
FH. Being part of the Olympic frenzy would be remarkable, as only a few players have the chance to qualify every four years. The European Games is almost in the same category, and I do hope we can excel in it, so we put German rugby on the Olympic platform.
So, we saved this question for last… having Germany won the first leg of our 7s Championship Series, can you win the whole thing come the weekend?
“I think we have to do it now, right? Seriously, we would love to do it twice in a row and become European champions. We don’t need to change much; we need to keep doing the simple things right. If we do that, I believe we are on to something special.”
By Francisco Isaac
