With the women’s game starting nearly a decade after the men, there is still a long way to go for the Black Ferns Sevens to match the male counterparts, but in terms of their dominance, they are just as brutal.
They have won six of the eight Women’s World Series titles, finishing second to Australia in 2016 and 2018. They’ve won the past two World Cup Sevens, after losing the first edition to Australia. They also have the won the only Commonwealth Games gold medal awarded in women’s competition, beating Australia in extra time.
However, like the men’s they are missing the biggest prize of all, an Olympic gold medal. New Zealand lost the final in Rio to, you guessed it, Australia. And since they’ve lost, they got rampant, winning 16 of a possible 21 World Series legs.
A big part of their successes, comes in the form Women’s Sevens Player of the Decade, Portia Woodman, who crosses the line more than any other woman, scoring 195 tries. And you can expect the same thing from Woodman every year, as she’s led the series in tries scored four times.
The award-winning players doesn’t end there, with the team also boasting two Player of the Year recipients. Ruby Tui won the award in 2019, and backed it up with a Dream Team selection in 2020, while Michaela Blyde won the award in consecutive years (2017-18), becoming the first woman to win it twice.
Awards aside, their captain Sarah Hirini (nee Goss) has been with the side since the beginning. Playing her role to perfection, she has been a part of every major success, and will not only lead her side from here to Tokyo, but lead the entire New Zealand Olympic team as their flagbearer.
New Zealand is dominate against ever side, so it comes as no surprise that they have only lost one match to Fiji, a semi-final loss at the 2013 Oceania Sevens in Noosa, Queensland. And as for Australia, well since their disappointing defeat in Rio, the Kiwis have only lost six times.
They are clearly the best team in the world and it would be tough to tip against them. Australia is their biggest competition, and they easily accounted for them during the Trans-Tasman competition, dropping only one match.
They are surely going to try and use this hit out to remind Australia who they are, and to scare the rest of the world, as they prepare to avenge Rio.
Squad:
Shakira Baker, Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Dhys Faleafaga, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Stacey Fluhler, Sarah Hirini, Jazmin Hotham, Shiray Kaka, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane, Alena Saili, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Niall Williams, Tenika Willison, Portia Woodman.
