One of the most decorated players in the HSBC SVNS competition, Australian men’s sevens captain Henry Hutchison approaches the next two years in gold with increased hunger, having just signed a new contract to keep him in the sevens until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 29-year-old Hutchison is the biggest male player Australia History of the Week, with 68 events and over 350 matches under his watch, and is set to take to the field for Friday’s Kick On 7s event and Saturday’s Sydney quadruple tie against Fiji.
Speaking to the media after re-signing, Hutchison is determined to make the next few years count – with Australia missing out on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing the bronze medal match 26-19 to South Africa.
That has left the skipper keen to show that Australia can be one of the best sides on the circuit and last year he saw signs of huge potential in Dubai, Perth and Valladolid.
“I’d probably have the most silver medals on the track, which is not a claim,” Hutchison quipped to reporters. “It’s a terrible statistic.
“What I think helped (last year) is the guys have experienced that (winning) now. There are so many boys that have come through this program and not felt that winning feeling, and they just grew in their belief a little bit, and they were like … we can do it.
“There’s a purpose behind the guys. They’re doing a good job. I want people to look at the weekly program that way, and that’s a big driver for me.”
“Travel is important. I think it’s important for me to change the way we’re looked at, how we’re respected on the track. I want the team to walk around those in the dining room and be feared and respected and want to be avoided.”
“(We want other teams to think), they don’t want to play Australia. I’d be lying if I said that’s always been the case with us, but I feel like we’re changing that narrative.
“Gold in LA is huge, and that’s the goal, but it’s a lot of work and a lot has to be done before that. Along the way, we have to be respected, and that comes from being physical and consistently performing as a group.”
It’s been a busy off-season for the Australian, playing in both the Indian Rugby Premier League and the Ultimate Sevens in Europe before joining the squad for their pre-season games.
The chance to step outside the SVNS bubble and play his opponents in new environments proved incredibly valuable for Hutchison, opening his eyes to how to approach the Australian program now that he’s back on home soil.
“It’s going to be the way of the future for sevens,” Hutchison said. “It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the Olympic qualifying years, but I think, from a macro point of view, these Rebel leagues will start to really complement the World Series, which is great.
“It offers a whole new challenge, a whole new different perspective. Playing with other players and other coaches, you learn so much. But to be honest, and I say this humbly, I left the Ultimate Sevens tournament thinking that we (Australia) should be better.
“We’ve got a strong squad, we’ve got some really good players, and I think some of the Aussie guys have come back, you know what, we’re in the right place to start performing more consistently.”
Australia’s sevens program is set for a busy pre-season, with the men kicking off with matches against Fiji this weekend, blood new players in the form of Sydney University speedsters Dane Mitchell and Tylan Berryman, as well as returning stars in the form of Tokyo Olympian Josh Coward.
Along with Hutchison, the Australians will also welcome back the likes of Harry Wilson, Ben Dalton and Jayden Blake, adding significant pressure on current stars to perform through emerging talent.
The party will then proceed to New Zealand play the All black people Weeks and Samoa as part of their pre-season preparations, which Hutchison believes will put them in good stead to hit the ground running in the critical 2026-27 SVNS Series – with the top four at the end qualifying for the Olympics.
“Bringing in those (new) boys adds an element of uncertainty,” Hutchison explained. “You know, you fight for your places.
“I’ve definitely noticed that the level where we’re starting now compared to other seasons is a lot higher. Guys like Harry Wilson, Ben Dalton, Jayden Blake, they’ve got two, three seasons under their belts now and it doesn’t feel like we’re starting over.”
“We have a really good platform to run from this pre-season.
“To be successful, you have to be realistic about where you are… We know we’re not the best team in the world, but we know we’re close and we know we have the capabilities to be the best team in the world.
“Last year, we talked about consistent performance and the potential of winning the tournament.
“Over the years, we’ve had a talented squad, but maybe we’ve been beaten around the collision.
“We’ve really tried to change that narrative, change that reputation on the track. We’re a bigger team now, and we enjoy that physical confrontation, and now we’re starting to see that as a potential advantage for our team.”
“Playing teams like Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa, they’re a marker. They’re physical teams on the track. It’s good for us to just learn to stay tough and be tough.”
