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How Black Ferns Sevens channel ‘pressure’ to stay ‘hungry’ for more SVNS success
From the outside looking in, the Black Ferns Sevens couldn’t have really asked for much more in 2022/23. Other than a silver medal in Dubai, the New Zealanders won every Cup final that season.
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But they want more. With a new campaign getting underway in Dubai on Saturday, the New Zealanders are setting their sights on more silverware and rugby sevens greatness.
Late on a practically perfect night in the United Arab Emirates, Stacey Waaka walked down the tunnel at The Sevens Stadium with a near-trademark gleaming grin stretched across her face.
Waaka had just scored two of New Zealand’s five tries as the reigning world champions overcame a tough challenge to down traditional sevens rivals Fiji 29-21.
But Waaka’s smile didn’t tell the full story. Fans have high expectations of any New Zealand rugby team, and those standards are driven within the team’s inner sanctum as well.
“Pleased but not satisfied,” Waaka told RugbyPass on Saturday evening.
“Our coach definitely said it was a rollercoaster day and it was. We obviously started a little bit slow, came back in the second and the Fiji game was so tough – and it always is. We always love playing out Fijiana sisters.
“It’s such a physical battle and you know who’s gonna win till the end so we love those games.
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“It’s cool for the fans to watch. People back home, we think, are up at 3 am watching us.”
The idea that the defending champions have a target on their back is a common theme across all sports in the world – that’s what makes the great dynasties so impressive.
Tom Brady’s New England Patriots, the legendary New York Yankees and the Las Vegas Aces’ current run in the WNBA are great because these teams and athletes achieve continued success that was once deemed impossible or highly unlikely.
The Black Ferns Sevens have experienced prolonged success as well, and that’s part of the reason they’re so likeable and impressive – they always want more and they’re willing to work for it.
“I think it starts from the culture and connection off the field,” Waaka explained when asked how the Black Ferns Sevens stay hungry after previous successes.
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“We had the longest preseason that we’ve ever had – six months since Toulouse. We did a lot of fun stuff, a little different training and we had a great strength and conditioning coach who made it fun.
“If you can bring your group together, stay in the fight, stay hungry no matter (what).
“We’re competing against each other every single day, our best mates, and you want to be better no matter what whether it’s in the gym testing, whether it’s a speed test, whether you’re playing against each other day in and day out.
“That’s what keeps us motivated, keeps us hungry individually to be better but collectively to be the best in the world.”
With fans both young and old cheering on the women’s and men’s sevens side from the other side of the world, the players in black are continuing to raise the bar even higher. The pressure is very real.
These players carry the weight of a rugby-mad nation into sevens battle every time they take the field anyway, but the New Zealanders not only embrace it but thrive off the expectation.
But when the opening whistle sounds on the SVNS Series, or even when they’re at training, the Black Ferns Sevens know how to keep cool, calm and collected as they chase more greatness.
“I feel like it’s pressure no matter what,” Waaka said, still with a smile on her face.
“We have won a few things in the years gone but I suppose for us it’s just keeping our cool, staying focused on the task at hand, not looking too far ahead.
“We love winning, we hate losing – no one likes losing, right? You’ve just got to find little milestones, little challenges along the way to keep your mind ticking, keep the heart ticking and making sure that we’re growing and getting better each game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
28 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….
28 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….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments