Black Ferns Sevens breeze past Fiji to win seventh-successive title

By Will Toogood

The Black Ferns Sevens have continued their unbeaten streak at BC Place Stadium to win the Vancouver Sevens in emphatic fashion.

After heartbreak in Perth, losing the Cup final to Australia 26-28, the New Zealand side ran out 41-7 winners over Fiji to defend their Vancouver title, their seventh in succession at the event.

Taking a tournament victory sees New Zealand increase their lead at the top of the standings, having finished no lower than second across four legs of the new World Series. The Black Ferns Sevens sit first with 76 points, six clear of Australia in second.

Disaster struck for the Fijians just 45 seconds into the match with Sarah Hirini forcing a turnover just outside the Fijian 22 metre line and the referee sending a Fijian player to the sin bin for deliberate slowing down of play.

Sevens is difficult enough playing with a full compliment and, with just six on the field, the Fijians immediately felt the pressure, conceding tries to Risi Pouri-Lane and Manaia Nuku. From there the Black Ferns Sevens never relinquished control of the match.

The Fijians have never beaten New Zealand in a Sevens circuit match, their sole victory over the Black Ferns Sevens came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and it was their first Cup final appearance since 2020.

Tries to Stacey Waaka and Jorja Miller just before the whistle gave the Kiwis a 22-0 halftime lead.

Fiji had to be the first team to score after the break and yet the class of the New Zealand side once again shone through as Michaela Brake used her sublime pace out wide to go round her marker and run 40 metres to extend the lead again.

The title win capped a weekend to remember for Brake, who also broke the record for the most tries scored by a women’s sevens player, surpassing Portia Woodman-Wickliffe when she added a third in the Black Ferns’ tournament opening win over Ireland.

Fiji’s effort could not be downplayed, their offload and back-up style paid dividends as a well-worked try from Sesenieli Donu brought the deficit back to 20 points.

But the clock and the skill level of the Black Ferns was too much to counter, a final flourish from 18-year-old Maia Davis - making her Sevens debut in Vancouver - with a linebreak and 80-metre dash, before Mahina Paul’s try sealed the Cup final for New Zealand.

The Sevens circuit now heads to Asia and Hong Kong from March 28-30.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission