The Black Ferns Sevens have defended their Hong Kong title, defeating Australia 19-14 in the final, maintaining their stranglehold on the event.
The New Zealanders have won all four finals at the seven circuit’s biggest event ever since the women’s series arrived there in 2023. In Sunday’s match, theyalways looked strong, despite a late Australian strike that closed the margin.
Mahina Paul opened the scoring for the Black Ferns in the third minute, with Jorja Miller dotting down two minutes later. Skipper Risi Pouri-Lane converted both tries, and even when Australia’s Isabella Nasser struck back in the sixth minute, the Black Ferns looked in control.
A ninth-minute unconverted try to Kelsey Teneti looked to have settled the match, before Aussie gun Maddison Levi was finally able to get into the action, barging through grasping defenders on the left flank to head in under the posts with 30 seconds left on the clock.
After Tia Hinds knocked over her second conversion, Australia were unable to secure the ball at the restart, and the match closed in deflated fashion with a knock on marking the start of the Kiwi celebrations.
The result gives the Kiwis a boost in the Championship phase of the Sevens circuit; they sit on 20 points, with Australia on 18 and two events remaining.
Black Ferns players and coaching staff celebrate winning the Hong Kong Sevens. Photo / Samuel Sherry
The two finalists have faced off in every decider of the Sevens circuit this season, with the Kiwis bagging six titles and Australia one.
The Black Ferns Sevens Kiwis had earlier beaten Canada 31-12 in their semi-final, after seeing off quarter-final rival Spain 32-5 and topping their pool with wins over Brazil, Japan and Fiji.
In the men’s side of the draw, the All Blacks Sevens had earlier lost the playoff for third, with an electric Spanish performance outpacing them 32-28.
The New Zealanders had been defeated 26-14 by South Africa’s Blitzboks in the semi-finals, after they had finished second in their pool, behind Australia.
The Sevens circuit now moves on to Valladolid, Spain, at the end of May, before the finale in Bordeaux, France, in early June.
