Cross sets record points score for DHL Impact Player

On a weekend of drama at the HSBC Singapore Sevens, where Canada won their first ever tournament, it was Wales' Sam Cross who finally usurped Dan Norton in the overall DHL Performance Tracker standings.

Cross was awarded the DHL Impact Player award for Singapore, an award which takes into account tackles, breaks, offloads and carries across the two match days. The 24-year-old helped Wales win the Challenge Trophy (formerly known as the Bowl), with some impressive statistics across the weekend. Cross finished a clear 17 points ahead of Japan's Kameli Soejima.

The Welshman made 17 tackles, three breaks, 17 offloads and 32 carries, giving him a total of 69 which is a record for a tournament in 2016-17. More importantly, Cross' numbers put him ahead in the overall DHL Performance Tracker, which accumulates a player's score across the past eight rounds on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. England's Dan Norton had been in the lead after winning the DHL Impact Player three times this series (Dubai, Cape Town, Canada), but now Cross is out in front by three points (315 in total).

Elsewhere in the DHL Impact Player table for Singapore, Scotland's Mark Robertson finished third, one point behind Soejima. Russia's German Davydov, who won the award in Sydney earlier in the year, finished fourth overall in Singapore.

"It's great to win the award and to take the lead is doubly special for me. I'm not doing anything different than my normal game and it's great to see that my numbers are having an impact," said Cross. "It was a good all around effort from the boys here in Singapore and we're happy with the Challenge Trophy award."