Rugby: Close enough to home for Black Ferns Sevens

Black Ferns sevens captain Sarah Goss. Photo / Getty

The Black Ferns Sevens are acutely aware that defending Women's World Series and Olympic champions Australia will be thirsting for revenge after their Dubai defeat and buoyed by their home advantage in Sydney when the second leg kicks off this afternoon.

"It's a big deal (for them)," says Portia Woodman. "We'd love to have one at home, so they are really lucky playing in front of their home crowd, but we are going to bring it no matter what. We'll (still) have a wave of black there."

One senses the team are pleased to be playing on Australian soil, having yet to convince the powers that be that New Zealand, even if not in Wellington, deserves to host a leg of the series.

"Sydney is so close to home. I'm going to have about 12 family members here, so I'm excited about that. Also, just playing in Sydney, it's the closest one we have to home," adds Woodman.

"It's going to be a good tournament. Canada and France always bring it and I haven't played against PNG since 2012."

The heat, with temperatures soaring into the 30s, has been a talking point in Sydney this week, but the real heat will go on tomorrow when the silverware is contested. It would surprise if New Zealand are not at least contesting the Cup final.

While Woodman will be heavily marked, opposition would do well not to ignore Michaela Blyde, who ran in 10 tries in Dubai and looms as a potent strike force in a side not short of pace and strikepower. The likes of Renee Wickliffe and Teresa Te Tamaki are no slouches.

The women's sevens game in Australia seems to be riding a high, with a national university sevens series inaugurated for August, involving eight teams. This weekend is the first time Australia has hosted a leg of the Women's World Series.

The main silverware matches and semifinals tomorrow will be played on the main turf at Allianz Stadium, before a sellout crowd, a far cry from Wellington last weekend.

The series then breaks for a month before the Las Vegas tournament from March 3-5.

Black Ferns 7s squad for Sydney: Sarah Goss (c), Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Alena Saili*, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Kat Whata-Simpkins, Renee Wickliffe, Niall Williams, Portia Woodman
Travelling reserves are: Tenika Willison, Cheyelle Robins-Reti*

Blacks Ferns 7s in Pool A (NZT):
4.20pm v Papua New Guinea
7.02pm v France
9.44pm v Canada