# 2001 Wellington Sevens

The 2001 Wellington Sevens, also known as the 2001 New Zealand Sevens, was an international rugby sevens tournament that was held in Wellington, New Zealand as the third leg of the 2000–01 World Sevens Series. The tournament took place at the Westpac Stadium on 9–10 February 2001.
The hosts, New Zealand, lost their first match of the season as they were defeated 19–17 by defending Wellington Sevens champions Fiji in the Cup quarterfinals. This was only the second time that a New Zealand sevens side had failed to reach the Cup final of World Sevens Series event. This was also the first event to hold a Shield competition which was won by Japan who defeated Papua New Guinea 27-19 in the final.
Australia became only the third nation to win a World Sevens Series title as they defeated Fiji 19–17 in the Cup final.

## Format

The teams were drawn into four pools of four teams each. Each team played the other teams in their pool once, with 3 points awarded for a win, 2 points for a draw, and 1 point for a loss (no points awarded for a forfeit). The pool stage was played on the first day of the tournament. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the Cup/Plate brackets. The bottom two teams from each group went to the Bowl/Shield brackets.

## Teams

The 16 participating teams for the tournament:
* Argentina
* Australia
* Canada
* China
* Cook Islands
* England
* Fiji
* Japan
* New Zealand
* Niue
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* South Africa
* Tonga
* Wales
* Zimbabwe
Niue was invited to replaced France after they withdrew from the tournament due to French clubs not releasing players.

## Pool stage

Key to colours in group tables :
* Teams that advanced to the Cup quarterfinals
* Teams that advanced to the Bowl quarterfinals

### Pool A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| New Zealand | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 120 | 0 | 120 | 9 |
| Canada | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 57 | -10 | 7 |
| Tonga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 45 | 57 | -12 | 5 |
| Niue | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 124 | -98 | 3 |
Source: World Rugby
* 9 February 2001
| New Zealand | 31–0 | Tonga |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Canada | 33–14 | Niue |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| New Zealand | 51–0 | Niue |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Canada | 14–5 | Tonga |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Tonga | 40–12 | Niue |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| New Zealand | 38–0 | Canada |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Source: World Rugby

### Pool B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 27 | 33 | 9 |
| Fiji | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 112 | 17 | 95 | 7 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 72 | -22 | 5 |
| China | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 125 | -106 | 3 |
Source: World Rugby
* 9 February 2001
| United States | 12–10 | Fiji |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| England | 33–14 | China |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Fiji | 61–0 | China |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| United States | 17–12 | England |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| United States | 31–5 | China |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Fiji | 41–5 | England |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Source: World Rugby

### Pool C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 113 | 10 | 103 | 9 |
| Cook Islands | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 62 | -12 | 7 |
| South Africa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 54 | 47 | 7 | 5 |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 120 | -98 | 3 |
Source: World Rugby
* 9 February 2001
| Australia | 43–5 | Cook Islands |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| South Africa | 47–5 | Japan |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Australia | 45–5 | Japan |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Cook Islands | 17–7 | South Africa |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Cook Islands | 28–12 | Japan |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Australia | 25–0 | South Africa |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Source: World Rugby

### Pool D

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
| Samoa | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 17 | 91 | 9 |
| Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 47 | 5 | 7 |
| Wales | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 70 | -22 | 5 |
| Papua New Guinea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 93 | -74 | 3 |
Source: World Rugby
* 9 February 2001
| Argentina | 21–14 | Wales |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Samoa | 40–5 | Papua New Guinea |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Argentina | 31–0 | Papua New Guinea |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Samoa | 35–12 | Wales |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Wales | 22–14 | Papua New Guinea |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
* 9 February 2001
| Samoa | 33–0 | Argentina |
* Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Source: World Rugby

## Knockout stage
### Shield

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| China | 7 |
| China | 7 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Japan | 21 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Japan | 21 | Japan | 27 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | Japan | 27 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | Papua New Guinea | 19 |
| Papua New Guinea | 45 | Papua New Guinea | 19 |
| Niue | 0 | | |
Source: World Rugby

### Bowl

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Tonga | 45 | | | |
| Tonga | 45 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | |
| China | 7 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | |
| China | 7 | Tonga | 17 | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | Tonga | 17 | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | Wales | 19 | |
| Wales | 26 | Wales | 19 | |
| Wales | 26 | | | | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Japan | 10 | | | | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Japan | 10 | | | | Wales | 17 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | | | Wales | 17 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | | South Africa | 47 |
| South Africa | 26 | | | | South Africa | 47 |
| South Africa | 26 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Papua New Guinea | 7 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Papua New Guinea | 7 | South Africa | 31 | | | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | South Africa | 31 | | | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | England | 12 | |
| England | 22 | England | 12 | |
| Niue | 7 | | | |
Source: World Rugby

### Plate

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| New Zealand | 12 |
| New Zealand | 12 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Samoa | 21 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Samoa | 21 | Samoa | 40 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | Samoa | 40 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | Argentina | 7 |
| Argentina | 21 | Argentina | 7 |
| Canada | 0 | | |
Source: World Rugby

### Cup

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Fiji | 19 | | | |
| Fiji | 19 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | |
| New Zealand | 17 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | |
| New Zealand | 17 | Fiji | 27 | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | Fiji | 27 | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | Cook Islands | 12 | |
| Cook Islands | 10 | Cook Islands | 12 | |
| Cook Islands | 10 | | | | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Samoa | 7 | | | | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium |
| Samoa | 7 | | | | Fiji | 17 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | | | Fiji | 17 |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | | Australia | 19 |
| Australia | 26 | | | | Australia | 19 |
| Australia | 26 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Argentina | 17 | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | | |
| Argentina | 17 | Australia | 36 | | | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | | Australia | 36 | | | |
| 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | 10 February 2001 – Westpac Stadium | United States | 5 | |
| United States | 12 | United States | 5 | |
| Canada | 10 | | | |
Source: World Rugby

## Tournament placings

| Place | Team | Points |
| | Australia | 20 |
| | Fiji | 16 |
| | Cook Islands | 12 |
| | United States | 12 |
| 5 | Samoa | 8 |
| 6 | Argentina | 6 |
| 7 | Canada | 4 |
| 7 | New Zealand | 4 |
| Place | Team | Points |
| 9 | South Africa | 2 |
| 10 | Wales | 0 |
| 11 | England | 0 |
| 11 | Tonga | 0 |
| 13 | Japan | 0 |
| 14 | Papua New Guinea | 0 |
| 15 | China | 0 |
| 15 | Niue | 0 |
Source: Rugby7.com

## Series standings

At the completion of Round 3:
| Pos. | Event Team | Durban | Dubai | Wellington | Points total |
| 1 | Fiji | 16 | 16 | 16 | 48 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 20 | 20 | 4 | 44 |
| 3 | Australia | 12 | 12 | 20 | 44 |
| 4 | Samoa | 6 | 12 | 8 | 26 |
| 5 | Argentina | 12 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
| 6 | South Africa | 8 | 8 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 | Cook Islands | — | — | 12 | 12 |
| 7 | United States | — | — | 12 | 12 |
| 9 | Canada | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| 10 | England | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Zimbabwe | 0 | 4 | — | 4 |
| 12 | France | 4 | — | — | 4 |
| 13 | Ireland | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| 13 | Portugal | 2 | — | — | 2 |
| 15 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Georgia | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 16 | Kenya | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 16 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 19 | Arabian Gulf | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 19 | China | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Hong Kong | — | 0 | — | 0 |
| 19 | Japan | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Namibia | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 19 | Niue | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Papua New Guinea | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Tonga | — | — | 0 | 0 |
Source: Rugby7.com