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Australia and Fiji crowned Dubai Sevens champions after dramatic deciders

Players of Australia and Fiji celebrate victory after the final matches on day two of the HSBC SVNS at The Sevens Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

Australia and Fiji are off to perfect starts on the new HSBC SVNS Series season after triumphing in their respective Dubai Sevens Cup Finals on Sunday. The Aussies got the better of rivals New Zealand 28-24 in the women’s decider, while Fiji ended their title drought 19-5 against Spain.

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Australia’s Faith Nathan told RugbyPass in October that Canada were probably “the strongest team” in women’s sevens before the new season. The Canadians were impressive at this year’s Paris Olympics, but fans still wouldn’t have been too surprised to see who made the big dance in Dubai.

There was a sense of déjà vu or familiarity about the women’s Cup Final with Australia and New Zealand meeting in another enthralling battle. This was the third Dubai Sevens Cup Final in a row that the neighbouring nations have qualified for, with the Aussies winning the other two.

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    With new captain Isabella Nasser leading the charge, Australia looked to make it five titles in a row out in the Dubai desert. But as is so often the case when these two teams clash on the field of battle, this match was both tense and thrilling as it lived up to the hype.

    Nathan scored the opening try of the contest in just the first minute after slicing through two Black Ferns Sevens defenders. Teagan Levi added a try and conversion to Australia’s advantage a couple of minutes later as the women in gold seemed to take charge of the contest.

    But Australia’s 14-nil lead disappeared quickly with Jorja Miller and Risi Pouri-Lane both running in a try each towards the end of the first term. The reigning SVNS Series champions still had the last laugh in the half though, with captain Nasser crossing under the sticks in the seventh minute.

    The Aussies led 21-12 at the break, but it was a game of two halves really. Australia had dominated possession during the first term, and New Zealand returned serve with their own period of unwavering confidence, control, and composure.

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    Theresa Setefano and Manaia Nuku scored a try each as the New Zealanders took the lead with less than four minutes to play. But the match with plenty of twists and turns still had another surprise beckoning, with Maddison Levi scoring an intercept try to give the Aussies the lead.

    That was Levi’s 15th try of the tournament which is now a record for the most by any women’s player in a HSBC SVNS Series event. Levi had drawn level with a record-equalling 14th try in the semi-final, and only needed one more score in the big one to stand alone.

     

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    Time wasn’t on New Zealand’s side in the end as Australia hung on after Levi’s effort in the 12th minute. Former captain Charlotte Caslick showed experience and leadership to help the Aussies close out the contest against their fierce rivals.

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    Australia finished first, New Zealand second, and France’s 15-12 win over Great Britain earlier on day two saw the traditional sevens heavyweights take their places on the figurative podium at the end of the season-opening tournament at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium.

    In the men’s decider, Fiji showcased their attacking flair and skill to beat France and Argentina during the knockout phase of the competition. They had beaten last season’s League Winners, Argentina, 43-21 in a semi-final win that was more dominant than that score suggests.

     

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    But the biggest surprise of the weekend was undoubtedly Spain’s run to the men’s Cup Final. The Spaniard beat the All Blacks Sevens twice during the weekend as they charged towards their first decider in SVNS Series history.

    Spanish players were in tears after their semi-final win over New Zealand, but they also knew the job still wasn’t done in the UAE. They wanted to cap off their first Cup Final with a victory, but waiting for them in the title decider was a Fijian side growing in confidence.

    Captain Pol Pla opened the scoring for Spain in the second minute but Fiji began to control the possession battle soon after. Filipe Sauturaga and Jeremaia Matana scored on either side of the half-time break to give the Fijians a 12-5 lead.

    Viwa Naduvalo ran away for Fiji’s third try in the 11th minute, with the successful conversion by Iowane Teba putting them in a prime position to take out the match with just over two minutes left to play in front of a party-like crowd.

    There was some late yellow card drama for Fiji as Naduvalo was sent to sit down for two minutes, but it wouldn’t change the course of history as Fiji held on for their first Cup Final triumph for the first time in 22 tournaments.

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    Comments

    1 Comment
    E
    EatBreath7s 125 days ago

    Very high quality womens final, congrats to Aust. Black ferns 7s slightly suffered due to lack of express pace on the flanks. Roll on Capetown

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    J
    JW 3 hours ago
    Why NZR's Ineos settlement may be the most important victory they'll enjoy this year

    It really all depends of how much overseas players would be paid (by NZR) to play for the All Blacks. I’ve not heard a peep on this front from any author suggesting it’s a good idea.


    If it’s nothing (a player gets his weekly paycheck from the club and thats it (which we know is definitely not the case in Ireland and France, or SA even I think?), then maybe it would retain more SR level players given that they’ll be getting the “AB” component (which is about where things stand, Burke for instance would have had to had his Sader contract upgraded to an AB one (think above Pero levels) to be on similar money.


    I’d having to imagine if a player is getting paid to do nothing over the international windows though, they are going to want to get paid extra for appear for the ABs, so in this situation, it’s hard to see many players being retained, yes.


    I’m pretty sure they flew to Japan and met in person.


    I’ve heard/had these discussions numerous times. I don’t think theres anyway to judge the interest that would be retain in SR. For one, it might be a more entertaining league as a result, as the JRLO is compared to Europe, despite it obviously being a lesser standard.


    If SRP is of a lesser standard and now able to use Japanese and American players to bolster teams, perhaps those markets more than make up for the downturn in NZ and Aus? Perhaps it gives NZR flexibility to create a more fit for purpose interdomestic competition, and interest actually increases? All you might need is a proper pathway from school to pro?


    Razor asked NZR to keep an open mind. Did NZR answer any of these questions to themself?

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    J
    JW 4 hours ago
    Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

    Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


    So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


    The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


    This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


    Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

    36 Go to comments
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