Jazmin Felix-Hotham heads for the tryline in the final. Photo / photosport.nz
Jazmin Felix-Hotham heads for the tryline in the final. Photo / photosport.nz
The Black Ferns Sevens have bid farewell to their home tournament in style, defending their World Series title in Hamilton.
The last time the New Zealand tournament was contested was in 2020 – the first to feature a full women’s tournament – before Covid-19 saw it cancelled in the following two years.
Back for 2023, World Rugby confirmed a New Zealand stop was not in their plans for a revamped series beyond the current season, making it a short welcome back to the summer event first hosted by Wellington in 2000.
In the first final of the day, the Black Ferns Sevens were too strong for the United States, with a Michaela Blyde hat-trick and some stoic defence leading them to a 33-7 win.
The All Blacks Sevens were unable to follow suit, falling 14-12 to Argentina.
For the Black Ferns Sevens, it was the end to an immaculate weekend. Coming into the final, they had only conceded 12 points from five matches – with all of those points being scored in their quarter-final win over Japan.
In their six matches of the weekend, they conceded just three tries.
While there might have been some concerns around the impact on the side with several players returning to the fold after focusing on the 15-a-side game for the end of 2022, it was a seamless transition. Add in the continued emergence of stars of the future in Jorja Miller and Jazmin Felix-Hotham, and the Black Ferns Sevens spent the weekend showing they will be a tough out for any opponent throughout the World Series.
After the USA got a penalty for an infringement in the contest for the kick-off, a quick tap was taken but the USA player was isolated and Miller took the opportunity to rip the ball away. That triggered a quick break for the New Zealand side, with Blyde cutting in from the left edge to score.
It was Felix-Hotham on the scoresheet next, the Black Ferns Sevens taking advantage of an American error, before Felix-Hotham was put through the defence from a sweeping run up the middle.
The next three minutes of the half were all in favour of the USA, however despite some searching runs across the park, they were unable to break the New Zealand line. Throughout the tournament, the Black Ferns Sevens’ defence had been a big part of their game, and that showed yet again as it seemed every player made an important one-on-one tackle to keep the USA at bay.
The Kiwi side closed out the half with a 14-point advantage, and kicked off the second half the same way as the first – with Blyde scoring her second of the match.
The Americans hit back soon after, but after Blyde got her third – the team capitalising on Miller almost pulling off one of the more remarkable solo efforts you’ll see – the Kiwi side had one hand on the trophy.
That quickly became two, as Portia Woodman-Wickliffe bagged a late try to cap off an impressive weekend in the ideal fashion.
Coming into the weekend second in the standings, though level on points with series leaders Australia, the result will see them move to the top of the ladder.
Roderick Solo in action against Argentina . Photo / photosport.nz
In the men’s final, the All Blacks Sevens were under pressure early, losing Joe Webber to the sin bin for a high tackle in the opening three minutes. Argentina subsequently bombed an overlap for a sure try with a forward pass, and the Kiwi side went the length of the field from the ensuing scrum to score through Akuila Rokolisoa. They extended that lead on the stroke of halftime when Roderick Solo toed the touchline before scoring out wide.
Argentina hit back midway through the second half, reducing the gap to just five points with as many minutes to play. They then took the lead with two minutes to play, the pressure starting to build on the Kiwis from the Argentina’s clinical play.
