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Strong New Zealand travelling squads named for Dubai and Cape Town SVNS
For both of New Zealand’s beloved sevens sides, winning is ingrained in their culture. The desire and expectation to do the black jersey justice has historically seen these two teams thrive on the international stage.
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Last season’s world champion Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens sides will be as hungry as ever to begin their title defences with a strong start in Dubai and Cape Town next month.
The Black Ferns Sevens have dominated the women’s competition since its inception, with the New Zealanders capturing seven of 10 World Series crowns. They’ve only failed to go back-to-back or better on one occasion too.
Australia have claimed the other three World Series titles in 2015/16, 2017/18 and 2021/22. They can’t have been happy with how last season played out either, so the Aussies will be coming for their Trans-Tasman foe after gruelling pre-season.
The Olympics aren’t that far away, too. But the new-look SVNS series presents players with an opportunity to entice, entertain and thrill like never before.
Your first squads of the Svns Szn! 🎉#AllBlacks7s | #BlackFerns7s | #HSBCSvns pic.twitter.com/irQFSufJVb
— NZ Sevens (@nz_sevens) November 23, 2023
Rising star Jorja Miller, who recently signed the first four-year deal by a female rugby player in New Zealand, will be eager to win more silverware along with her ‘sisters’ – as the team affectionally refers to one another.
World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year finalist Michaela Blyde is another threat out wide, while the world’s best Tyla Nathan-Wong will be raring to go after a brief stint in NRLW with St George.
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Sarah Hirini, Stacey Waaka, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Shiray Kaka are another world-class quartet that will be counting down the days until the Dubai leg of the series at the start of next month.
Kelly Brazier, Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Manaia Nuku, Mahina Paul, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane, Alena Saili and Tenika Willison have also been picked in the touring squad for Dubai and Cape Town.
As for the All Blacks Sevens, they’re in exactly the same boat as their countrywomen. The men’s team have only failed to go back-to-back or better on one occasion.
The Kiwis brought an end to their second-long World Series title drought season as they edged emerging powerhouse Argentina, but defending your crown is what makes champions great.
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Leroy Carter and Akuila Rokolisoa both headline the squad after receiving nominations for the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year honour, which was named at the World Rugby Awards in Paris.
But the experienced trio of Scott Curry, Sam Dickson and Tim Mikkelson is where this team gets really interesting. Throw Regan Ware in there, too – this is a team stacked with depth.
While there’s no Payton Spencer in this squad, the All Blacks Sevens have picked plenty of talent in Che Clark, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Fehi Fineanganofo, Moses Leo, Sione Molia, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and Codemeru Vai.
But the absence of Dylan Collier, who captained the All Blacks Sevens in the absence of other leaders for a period last season, is certainly a talking point.
Here are the women’s and men’s travelling squad to take on the rugby sevens world in Dubai and Cape Town.
Black Ferns Sevens
Kelly Brazier, Michaela Blyde, Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Sarah Hirini, Shiray Kaka, Jorja Miller, Manaia Nuku, Mahina Paul, Risaleaanna Pouri-Lane, Aleena Saili, Stacey Waaka, Tenika Willison, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe
All Blacks Sevens
Leroy Carter, Che Clark, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Scott Curry, Sam Dickson, Fehi Fineanganofo, Moses Leo, Sione Molia, Tim Mikkelson, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, Akuila Rokolisoa, Codemeru Vai, Regan Ware
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments