Japan win World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Montevideo

Text: World Rugby

Eitan Abramovich/GaspaFotos

Japan defeated Uruguay 5-0 in an unforgettable final at Montevideo's Estadio Charrúa, bringing to an end the second tournament on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in South America.

After 22 minutes of rugby where both sides canceled each other out, Japan captain Chihito Matsui finally managed to break the deadlock when he scored in the second half of sudden-death extra-time.

Japón Campeón del #7sChallengerSeries en #Montevideo pic.twitter.com/ZrfiBxqPcR
— World Rugby ES (@WorldRugby_ES) February 24, 2020

By reaching the final, though, Uruguay secured a place in the top eight in the overall standings and will now compete in the final play-off tournament for a spot in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, replacing the bottom-placed core team in the World Series in the following season.

Montevideo champions Japan finished top of the standings on 39 points from a possible 44, after following their bronze medal finish from the first tournament with gold in the second of the South American legs, while Hong Kong's consistency in reaching the podium on both occasions – second place in Chile was followed third place in Montevideo – was rewarded with the runners-up spot.

World Rugby is currently examining all options in relation to hosting a third and final round of the men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, which was due to be held in Hong Kong in April, taking into consideration the dynamic and ongoing situation regarding Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and already full Olympic Sevens calendar year. Further updates will be issued at a later stage.