Akuila Rokolisoa: Joining the All Blacks Sevens’ elite 100-try club

Akuila Rokolisoa reached a special milestone at the Vancouver Sevens last weekend. With his second try in the All Blacks Sevens’ 29-5 win over Great Britain, he became one of just a few players – like Tim Mikkelson, Tomasi Cama, and DJ Forbes – to score 100 SVNS tries for New Zealand.

“I dreamed of playing Sevens for New Zealand ever since I was a child. To score 100 tries is a pretty awesome achievement,” Rokolisoa told RugbyPass.

“I didn’t know I was close to that milestone until Roderick Solo told me in the dressing room. The boys were hyping me up in the tunnel.”

“My 100th try was like most of the tries I’ve scored – I was just supporting the boys doing the mahi. In Vancouver, Kele Lasaqa passed the ball to me. My first try was against Russia at the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens. That day, Joe Ravouvou was going for his third try but passed to me instead.”

Rokolisoa’s modesty is typical for the softly spoken, gifted playmaker who was named the Richard Crawshaw New Zealand Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2023. At 30, he’s played a key role in the All Blacks Sevens teams that won the 2019-20 and 2022-23 SVNS league titles, as well as the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.

This weekend, the All Blacks will attempt to win the USA Sevens for the fifth time, and for the first time since 2023, now in its new home of New York.

Rokolisoa had some time for sightseeing before the focus shifted to the tournament, where the All Blacks Sevens will face Australia, France, and defending USA champions and current series leaders South Africa in pool play.

“New York. It’s surreal, bro. Looks the same on TV. I’ve been to Times Square, the Empire State building and had one of those pizzas where the cheese stretches to your knees. I’m not sure that would have happened in Sir Gordon Tietjens day,” laughed Rokolisoa

“I feel like the boys are gelling well and improving every day. We’ve analysed each team, and there are no easy games anymore. Personally, I need to be more demanding in directing the team, and we need to take better care of the ball.”

The All Blacks Sevens are currently fourth in the 2025/26 SVNS standings. They haven’t won a cup tournament since the opening event in Dubai five tournaments ago. In Vancouver, they lost double-digit leads against both Spain and Argentina. With Frank Vaenuku, Regan Ware, and Roderick Solo out this weekend and replaced by relative newcomers Michael Manson, Bradley Tocker, Fletcher Morgan, and in the 2025/26 series, 57 out of 100 matches have been decided by a converted try or less.

“You have to be alive and be on edge all the time. Things happen so quickly. While it feels like South Africa is a little ahead at the moment, I back my boys. Conversions have become much more important,” Rokolisoa observed.

Fortunately for the All Blacks Sevens, Rokolisoa is a prolific goalkicker. In 39 SVNS tournaments, he has kicked 209 goals. Only Australia’s Dietrich Roache, with 240 goals, has more in New York this weekend. New Zealand’s next most prolific goalkicker is Sam Clarke, with five.

South Africa beat Spain 38–12 in the Vancouver Cup final, earning their fourth title in Canada and their third of the current season after triumphs in Cape Town and Perth. South Africa is now tied with Fiji at the top of the SVNS league standings with 86 points. They have won 46 of their 78 Cup finals all-time and have beaten the All Blacks Sevens 42 times in 109 matches.

Expect cold weather. Rokolisoa joked, “The boys have been breathing in snow for the first time.”

100 Tries for All Blacks Sevens (All Tourments)

Tim Mikkelson, 257

Amasio Valence, 169 (Plus)

DJ Forbes, 160

Tomasi Cama, 153

Regan Ware, 152

Eric Rush, 150 (Plus)

Karl Te Nana, 150 (Plus)

Brad Fleming, 150 (Plus)

Scott Curry, 145

Kurt Baker, 141

Sherwin Stowers, 141

Joe Webber, 123

Tafai Ioasa, 120

Lote Raikabula, 117

Rokolisoa, 109

Sam Dickson, 104

Zar Lawrence, 102

Note: Clive Akers, who spent thirty years editing the Rugby Almanack, New Zealand Rugby’s annual record, says that Valence, Rush, Te Nana, and Fleming might each have a few more tries, but probably not more than a dozen each. He notes that record-keeping was unreliable during several tournaments in the late 1990s. Justin Wilson (99), Sione Molia (97), and Dylan Collier (95) are the next closest players to reaching one hundred tries.

Top Ten SVNS Try Scorers 

Dan Norton 358 – England

Perry Baker 293 – USA

Collins Injera 279 – Keyna

Tim Mikkelson 240 – New Zealand

Santiago Gomez Cora 230 – Argentina

Seabelo Senatla 230 – South Africa

Ben Gollings 220 – England

Carlin Isles 217 –  USA

Cecil Afrika 179 – South Africa

Fabian Juries 179 – South Africa