The inaugural Ultimate Sevens Championship has been wrapped up in spectacular fashion, with the three-stop tour reaching its grand finale at the G-Tech Community Stadium in Brentford.
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Rugby returned to the former home of London Irish, but this was nothing like the action previously seen at the old residence of the Exiles.
With ten-minute matches, no half-times and a revamped scoring system, Ultimate Sevens has brought a whole new level of jeopardy to the shortened format. Every second mattered, every possession could prove decisive, and with knockout rounds from the very start, one mistake could send a team home, as the pressure was cranked up to the maximum.
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And what a way to finish. Having already seen Atlantic Novas claim the opening women's title in Cardiff and Pacific Current triumph in Biarritz, the two sides met in London with the inaugural championship on the line in the Women's Division, with Madi Levi inspiring the Current to glory.
In the Men's bracket, meanwhile, Albion Athletic and Clan Taran entered London as the previous champions across Wales and France, but it was Sol Feroz who emerged as the ultimate giant-killers. There was drama, there was controversy, there were last-second scores — and there was plenty of world-class Sevens talent on show.
So, following the final night of Ultimate Sevens action, RUCK has pieced together our Men's and Women's Teams of the Week from the London Finals.
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MEN'S TEAM OF THE WEEK: ULTIMATE SEVENS LONDON FINALS
FORWARDS
1. MANU MORENO (SOL FEROZ)
We kick things off with the man who helped complete the most remarkable comebacks in Ultimate Sevens history. Manu Moreno takes the number one jersey after an enormous shift for Sol Feroz throughout the Finals, culminating in a dramatic appearance in the Grand Final against Clan Taran.
Feroz had already produced one of the great moments of the tournament in their semi-final victory over Albion Athletic, snatching a 14-13 win thanks to Gaspard Lilli's last-gasp try and Juan Ramos' outrageous four-point conversion. Moreno then carried that fighting spirit into the showpiece finale.
With less than a minute remaining and Clan Taran clinging onto their narrow lead, Moreno battled tooth and nail towards the Taran try-line, forcing the officials into a lengthy TMO check as the entire G-Tech Community Stadium waited for the verdict.
The try was eventually awarded, setting up another extraordinary late twist. It was exactly the sort of all-action, never-say-die performance that has defined Sol Feroz throughout the Ultimate Sevens Championship.
2. DYLAN COLLIER (CLAN TARAN)
The first member of the reigning Cardiff champions joins our London forward pack, with Dylan Collier providing one of the decisive moments of the entire men's tournament. Clan Taran looked destined for defeat when Sol Feroz turned the Grand Final into another late drama-fest, but Collier was on hand to accept a gift from Gaspard Lilli.
Lilli's attempted pass went horribly wrong, with the loose ball travelling beyond his own try-line. Collier needed no second invitation, pouncing on the mistake to score the try that temporarily swung the Grand Final back in Taran's favour.
The New Zealand star also showed his versatility from the tee, adding the conversion to his crucial score. It ultimately wasn't enough to secure the trophy, but Collier's ability to capitalise upon a split-second opportunity was exactly what Ultimate Sevens demands. He backed this up with a workhorse mentality throughout the London Finals, to take Clan Taran back to the finale.
3. CHARLTON KERR (ALBION ATHLETIC)
We round off the forward trio with an Albion Athletic star who delivered when the pressure was at its absolute highest. Charlton Kerr was instrumental in Albion's semi-final battle with Sol Feroz, producing a huge seven-point score to extend Athletic's advantage and seemingly put the Biarritz champions on course for another Final appearance.
The score came after Stephen Parez had already pulled Albion level, with Kerr then producing the moment of power required to put his side back in front. It looked like being enough. But, as has become customary in Ultimate Sevens, Sol Feroz had other ideas for a place in the final.
Despite the agonising semi-final defeat, Kerr's performances in London deserved recognition. In a tournament where margins were microscopic, his try-scoring, scrummaging and line-out work proved just how valuable the Great Britain star has become to the English inspired Albion Athletic.
BACKS
4. SELVYN DAVIDS (CLAN TARAN)
There was only ever going to be one man starting in the scrum-half role. Selvyn Davids has been one of the defining stars of the inaugural Ultimate Sevens Championship, and the South African superstar once again produced plenty of magic under the Brentford lights.
The dreadlocked dynamo was at the heart of Clan Taran's dominant semi-final victory over Atlantic Novas, opening the scoring by spotting a gap around the back of a ruck and sniping through on the blind side. Davids then added the conversion, before returning to the score-sheet later in the match, with a stunning side-step to escape the Novas defence.
He nearly produced another piece of individual brilliance in the Grand Final, finishing a kick chase out wide in spectacular fashion, only for the TMO to rule the score out. Even with Taran dejected in defeat, Davids remained one of the most dangerous players on the pitch. After his Cardiff heroics, the Blitzbok once again proved why he has become one of the faces of Ultimate Sevens.
5. JUAN RAMOS (SOL FEROZ)
If there is one player you want with the ball at his feet when the clock is running down, Juan Ramos has certainly made a compelling case for himself. The Sol Feroz star was the architect of one of the most extraordinary moments of the London Finals, by nailing the first Ultimate Sevens four-point conversion following Gaspard Lilli's last-gasp semi-final try, and stealing the win from Albion Athletic.
But Ramos was far from finished. The Latin-inspired outfit went toe-to-toe with Clan Taran in the Grand Final, and Ramos crashed over for a seven-point score of his own to keep Feroz firmly in the contest.
Then, when Moreno's late try sent the match into another chaotic finale, Ramos stepped up once again and nailed the two-point conversion to put Sol Feroz ahead at the death. Few players embraced the madness of Ultimate Sevens quite like Ramos, who dutifully took home the M.V.P award 'to boot'.
6. MARCUS KERSHAW (PACIFIC CURRENT)
We move away from the two men's finalists for our next selection, with Marcus Kershaw earning his place following a gutsy showing for Pacific Current. The force of the South Seas entered London knowing that defeat against Atlantic Novas would send them home, and Kershaw was at the forefront of their efforts to survive.
The winger opened the scoring in the first-round encounter, capping a beautiful team move out in the corner. It was a cruel twist of fate that his effort was not enough to send Current through, with Atlantic Novas eventually edging the contest 6-5 thanks to Lucas Lacamp's late score and conversion.
Kershaw even thought he had grabbed a second, only for a knock-on to deny him the double. Despite Pacific Current's early exit, Kershaw's attacking threat and willingness to take responsibility in a must-win contest earn him a place in our London seven. In a team spearheaded by sevens legends Henry Hutchison, George Bose and James Turner, it was Kershaw who stood up as Pacific Current's leader.
7. GASPARD LILLI (SOL FEROZ)
We finish the men's side with one of the biggest entertainers of the entire London Finals. Gaspard Lilli was quite simply box-office. The Belgian bullet announced himself with a blistering performance against Foudre Bleue, exploding onto a looping pass before racing untouched down the right channel and adding a two-point conversion.
But it was in the semi-final where Lilli truly wrote himself into Ultimate Sevens folklore. With Sol Feroz trailing Albion Athletic 13-9 and the clock almost completely expired, Lilli gathered possession and sprinted the length of the pitch to score the try that gave his side one final chance.
Ramos then stepped up and converted from out wide for four points, stealing a place in the final with one of the most dramatic finishes of the entire championship. Lilli would later have a moment to forget in the Final, when his wayward pass gifted Dylan Collier a try, but, that has not overshadow what was an electric London campaign.
Lilli was one of the tournament's great livewires — and exactly the sort of player Ultimate Sevens was made for; a break-out player from a new neck of the global rugby woods.
WOMEN'S TEAM OF THE WEEK: ULTIMATE SEVENS LONDON FINALS
FORWARDS
1. VERENAISI DITAVUTU (FOUDRE BLEUE)
We begin the Women's Team of the Week with one of the most destructive forwards to grace the G-Tech Community Stadium. Verenaisi Ditavutu was a force of nature for Foudre Bleue, with the Fijian international combining raw power with the kind of footwork and explosiveness that makes her such a nightmare to defend.
She announced herself against Clan Taran, racing through for a seven-point score after a powerful break to put Foudre Bleue firmly in control of their quarter-final. It was the perfect demonstration of what Ditavutu brings to a Sevens pitch.
Although Foudre's run would eventually come to an end against Atlantic Novas in the semi-finals, Ditavutu's impact across the London Finals was impossible to ignore, as she takes the first spot in our forward trio.
2. GABRIELA LIMA (PACIFIC CURRENT)
The inaugural Ultimate Sevens Women's Championship belongs to Pacific Current — and Gabriela Lima played a starring role in their historic triumph. The Brazilian international produced a key moment in the Grand Final, breaking through to score the try that finally put Current ahead against Atlantic Novas.
It was a tense, physical contest between the champions from Cardiff and Biarritz, with neither side willing to give an inch. After Madi Levi had opened the scoring for Current and Ellie Boatman had dragged the Novas back into the contest, Lima found the space that mattered most.
Her score, followed by the conversion, gave Pacific Current the lead they needed to hold on and make history as the first-ever Ultimate Sevens Women's Champions. The moment arrived and Lima delivered.
3. SABRINA POULIN (ATLANTIC NOVAS)
The third member of our forward pack comes from the beaten finalists, with Sabrina Poulin enjoying a hugely influential run in London for the Cardiff champions. Atlantic Novas wasted absolutely no time against Foudre Bleue, with Poulin bursting over from the opening attack to get the scoreboard moving.
She wasn't finished there. Poulin was soon back across the whitewash to double her personal tally, before adding another conversion to put the Novas firmly in command. The two-time scorer helped the American outfit establish control over the French side, as the Novas looked every inch the well-oiled machine that had lifted the trophy in Cardiff.
Ultimately, Pacific Current would deny them another title, but Poulin's London contribution was worthy of a spot among the tournament's elite.
BACKS
4. KAITLIN SHAVE (ALBION ATHLETIC)
There are few players who embraced the chaos of London quite like Kaitlin Shave. The Albion Athletic star was immediately into the action, racing home for a seven-point score inside the opening minute against Sol Feroz.
But that was only the beginning. Shave later produced another end-to-end effort, racing clear for a second seven-point score to give Albion a dramatic late lead in their opening-round thriller. She then carried that form into the semi-final against Pacific Current, where she once again found the whitewash with a superb breakaway score to briefly draw the sides level.
Three seven-point tries across London's campaign tells its own story. Shave was electric, fearless and almost impossible to contain in open space — making her an obvious choice for the backline.
5. ELLIE BOATMAN (ATLANTIC NOVAS)
The Great Britain star takes the number five shirt after producing one of the defining moments of the Women's Grand Final, following an excellent campaign with the Novas. With Pacific Current ahead through Madi Levi, the Novas needed inspiration — and Boatman provided it.
The GB star broke through to score an incredible try, dragging Atlantic back level and ensuring the championship decider remained firmly in the balance. Boatman was also involved in one of the night's most important defensive moments, getting underneath Levi to hold the Australian up and deny what appeared to be another Current score.
It was a performance packed with attacking flair and defensive determination. In a final ultimately decided by the finest of margins, Boatman was one of the players who ensured Atlantic Novas remained in the fight until the very end.
6. REAPI ULUNISAU (PACIFIC CURRENT)
The Fijian flyer takes the penultimate spot in our women's Team of the Week after playing a crucial role in Pacific Current's championship triumph. Ulunisau provided the spark for Madi Levi's opening score in the Final, breaking the line with devastating pace before producing the offload that allowed the Australian to finish the move.
It was a moment that perfectly showcased the blend of power, pace and Pacific Island flair that made Current such a formidable outfit throughout the London Finals. With the pressure mounting and the title hanging in the balance, Ulunisau remained a constant attacking threat.
Her contribution may not have been the one that ultimately appeared in the scoring column, but without the Fijian's breaks and offloading ability, Levi's many attacking openings simply wouldn't happen.
7. MADI LEVI (PACIFIC CURRENT)
And, fittingly, we finish with the woman who once again delivered on the biggest stage. Madi Levi has been one of the defining figures of Ultimate Sevens throughout the championship, and the Australian superstar saved another huge performance for the Grand Final.
The number 12 shirt was already carrying some serious weight, with a gold name and number printed after Levi's MVP-winning performance in Biarritz. However, the Australian sensation showed absolutely no sign of buckling under the pressure.
Levi opened the scoring against Atlantic Novas, initially appearing to have crossed the line after a huge collision, before Ellie Boatman's brilliant defensive intervention denied her. The winger simply wasn't going to be kept out for long.
After Reapi Ulunisau broke the line, Levi received the offload and raced home for the opening score of the Final. She then added the conversion, giving Pacific Current the platform from which they would eventually claim their place in Ultimate Sevens history. It was another barnstorming display from one of the sport's most feared finishers.
From Biarritz to Brentford, Levi has been box-office — and there could be no better way to round off our Women's Team of the Week.
THAT'S A WRAP!
And so, the inaugural Ultimate Sevens Championship comes to a close.
From the opening action in Cardiff, through the drama of Biarritz, and finally to an unforgettable night at the G-Tech Community Stadium, the new competition has delivered exactly what it promised — fast-paced, unpredictable and relentlessly entertaining Sevens rugby.
Pacific Current leave London as the first-ever women's champions, while Sol Feroz's extraordinary run ensured the men's title race went right down to the final seconds.
There were last-gasp tries, four-point conversions, TMO drama, yellow cards, seven-point scores and enough twists and turns to keep even the most hardened Sevens fan guessing. And if London was anything to go by, Ultimate Sevens has only just begun.
