NZ Sevens 2024-25

[Bovidae]

Two NZ Men's teams and NZ Women's Development team are currently playing in the Coral Coast 7s in Fiji.

Here are the squads. It's interesting to see who the Men's teams include to make up the numbers.

https://sportsrunner.net/SR_7FJ/reports/TeamListT_Men_CC.pdf?d=1736990279765

https://sportsrunner.net/SR_7FJ/reports/TeamListT_Women_CC.pdf?d=1736990461733

[Bovidae]

Mixed results for the three NZ teams. The Men's 1 team won their pool (3-0) but then lost 21-12 to Manu Samoa in the QF. The Men's 2 team lost all three of their pool games, including to the eventual winners Fiji. The Men's 2 team did beat an Aust Select team 24-5 in the Bowl QF and also won their SF and final. The Men's 1 team then lost 24-22 to a Fijian Brothers team in the Plate SF.

The Women's Development team won all of their matches until the final where they lost to Mount Masada 24-7, which looks to have a number of Fijiana players.

A useful warmup tournament before Perth next weekend.

[Bovidae]

A couple of young debutant wingers in the men's squad. No Rob Rush.

Unavailable due to injury: Shiray Kaka, Akuila Rokolisoa, Kitiona Vai, Amanaki Nicole, Roderick Solo (season) and Xavier Tito-Harris.

[ARHS]

Cook savage not listed as injured. Is he off contract?

[Bovidae]

The million dollar question.

Unlike the BF7s, the AB7s haven't publicly released their 2025 squad. Not surprisingly, the player profiles of both teams on allblacks.com aren't current either.

[ARHS]

And is it any wonder that SVNs is failing financially when the promotion of it is so lacklustre in the Southern Hemisphere...

[Bovidae]

Surprise, surprise. We have updated squad lists on allblacks.com.

Based on this information the only new contracted players are Sofai Maka, Oli Mathis and Joey Taumateine.

The others listed are:
Dylan Collier
Jayden Keelan
Andrew Knewstubb
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
Sione Molia
Tone Ng Shiu
Amanaki Nicole
Lewis Ormond
Akuila Rokolisoa
Brady Rush
Roderick Solo
Xavier Tito-Harris
Codemeru Vai
Kitiona Vai
Regan Ware
Joe Webber

Other players used so far are Jack Gray, Rob Rush, Fletcher Carpenter and now Maloni Kunawave and Frank Vaenuku.

[Steven Harris]

@ARHS in rehab from his November surgery on his right knee
seems to be making good progress

https://www.instagram.com/tepaea.cook.savage1/reel/DFCpk7VyZ8F/

[ARHS]

@Steven-Harris thanks for that. I avoid Instagram...

[Bovidae]

[Bones]

Gotta love the official app.

That's the fixtures and results page for Perth.

[ARHS]

We have come to expect little different...

[KiwiMurph]

I never really understood the business plan for the revised Sevens programme a couple of years back

Fewer tournaments and some of the locations are places where the rugby following would be more cult-like than would capture the general public (i.e. Madrid).

[Bovidae]

The AB7s lead Kenya 14-7 at HT. Vaenuku scored early and the Kenya scored near HT. Ware scores in the 10th min after the play was kept alive.

[Bovidae]

Two late tries blew the score out to a 29-14 win. Some good impact off the bench from Knewstubb and Vai.

[Bovidae]

The BF7s beat Brazil 50-7. A good game to rotate players in the Perth heat.

[NTA]

Aussie men come back hard against Argies but can't hold them out in ET.

Aussie women smack China, unsurprisingly.

[Machpants]

Fiji lost to Portugal, bit of a shock defeat

[Bones]

@Machpants said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:

Fiji lost to Portugal, bit of a shock defeat

Bit of skullduggery with Portugal playing under the Uruguay flag.

[Bovidae]

Fiji were up 17-0 in that game. NZ vs Uruguay is next.