Hamilton Sevens: Black Ferns Sevens return from year of learning to set sights on final home tournament

Tyla Nathan-Wong in action for the Black Ferns Sevens during the Cape Town tournament. Photo / Photosport

Last year was a learning curve for the Black Ferns Sevens.

A team so often successful, the national women’s sevens squad suffered two major disappointments in being unable to defend their Commonwealth Games and World Cup titles.

Claiming bronze in the Games and being beaten in a tight final by Australia at the World Cup, it was a case of the hunted becoming the hunters as they turned their attention to the world series.

They had to do so with a fresh-faced side, with several of their established stars making themselves available for the Black Ferns’ Rugby World Cup bid and subsequently being selected by the 15-a-side team.

It was a test of the depth in the game, and one they passed with flying colours as they claimed silver in Dubai before winning the tournament in Cape Town.

Reflecting on the past year, Black Ferns Sevens playmaker Tyla Nathan-Wong said it left the side in a better position to hit the ground running in 2023, beginning in Hamilton this weekend – the last event on home soil for the foreseeable future.

“Last year we just fell short a couple of times in tournaments we really, really wanted to win in the Comm Games and the World Cup. But we came back with a pretty young, inexperienced team for Dubai and Cape Town and did amazing there. We really grew as each game went on and grew from Dubai to Cape Town and got that win we’d been striving for that year,” she said.

“Mind you, those losses that we did have, we took great lessons from them, but they were quite narrow losses as well. We knew we had so much more to give and we showed that in Cape Town and I know that’s what it’s going to be like this weekend.

“We always go out there to get the win, but this is also about making sure we continue to build our connections in the team with those girls that have come back into the squad from 15s.”

The team is expected to welcome back several players who missed the first two events of the world series late last year because of their World Cup commitments with the 15-a-side squad. They resume the season as joint series leaders alongside Australia – both sides having a win and runner-up finish in the two events thus far.

While they are likely to gain an influx of experience for their home tournament this weekend, Nathan-Wong said the opening events of the season were a testament to the depth of talent New Zealand has in the seven-a-side game.

“We’ve got depth over the whole seven positions on the field, which is amazing to say,” she said.

“Some countries might not be able to say that and, when you go out and play, it’s not just the starting seven. Your bench – or your hit squad as we like to call it – are just as important. They’re the ones that have to come on a lift the game to that next level and really push those girls who are potentially on from the start.

“The whole squad has incredible depth, we’ve all been working hard over the Christmas/New Year leave period to make sure we’ve come back in the best shape we can be to go out there and make our mark on this tournament, being our last one in front of our friends and family.”