Dual Olympic gold medallist lifts lid on NZ’s shift after SVNS Cape Town

Mahina Paul will enjoy a family reunion at the Perth Sevens this weekend, with her sister, two nieces, brother and his two children, and several cousins attending to support the Black Ferns Sevens at HBF Park.

If Paul maintains her recent form from Singapore, her family will have much to celebrate. The Black Ferns steamrolled to the Cup title in Singapore, outscoring five opponents 218-33, with 36 tries and only five conceded, extending their unbeaten record there to 15-0. They have now won 44 SVNS Cup finals, including 23 out of 33 against Australia.

By halftime, the Black Ferns Sevens had effectively secured the final, leading 24-0 against Australia, with Paul contributing to two tries. After Jazmin Felix-Hotham opened the scoring, Kelsey Teneti kicked the restart to Mahina Paul, who connected with Jorja Miller, the Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, breaking through three defenders in a 40-metre run.

Just before halftime, Australia secured a kick-off, but Paul’s ruthless cleanout and gather capped a dominant first half for the Black Ferns.

Earlier in the tournament, Paul scored two tries in the record 64-0 slaying of Great Britain.

“After Cape Town, we shifted back to basics, doing the little things right,” Paul told RugbyPass.

“We play our best when we set the foundation early, execute our roles, and then express ourselves. In Cape Town, we started terribly and were down 26-0 against Aussie.

“We were stocked with how we played in Singapore. We got momentum early and held onto that to stay on top of them. It’s always a good battle against Aussies.”

Indeed, Australia won the Perth Sevens last year, beating New Zealand 28-26 in a breathless final. Despite injuries to Faith Nathan and Maddison Levi, Australia prevailed with three 19-year-olds. One of those rookies, Heidi Dennis, was named player of the final with two long-range tries in each half.

Canada was the biggest challenge for New Zealand in Singapore. It took two Miller tries to extinguish a brave challenge from the North Americans, which included two quality tries scored by the crafty Olivia Apps.

“It was definitely a grind. No game is easy. For the first few minutes, they disrupted our game with their physicality. They can match our speed, so we had to dig deep,” Paul reflected.

“Olivia is an amazing player. She’s got some tricky moves that one.”

The match against Canada was the closest between the teams since the 2024 Paris Olympic final.

Paul is a double Olympic gold medalist and a talented netball and touch player. She represented New Zealand at the U18 Touch World Championships and the 2018 Youth Olympic Games for Sevens, where New Zealand won gold. Paul grew up in Whakat?ne, attended Trident High School, and completed her education at St Kentigern College in Auckland. She joined the Black Ferns Sevens in 2019 after standout performances at the Ignite7s and National Sevens.

She has played 21 SVNS events and scored 205 points (41 tries).

“When I started with the Black Ferns Sevens, I was a winger. I have since moved into a playmaking role, which I love. I am more involved, shot calling and setting the team’s direction,” Paul said.

“We miss Sarah Hirini and Michaela Brake, but Risi Pouri-Lane and Jorja Miller have stepped up as leaders, and I am proud of the new players. Kelsey Teneti is so powerful on the edge, Braxton Sorensen-McGee has an amazing skillset, and newcomers like Maia Davis and Olive Watherston are workhorses who bring great energy.”

The Black Ferns’ boundless energy has overwhelmed opponents for years. In the last ten SVNS tournaments, they have won seven cup titles and hold a 48-4 record. Is there a risk that the series is becoming too one-sided?

In Singapore, Great Britain featured six debutants and four others with fewer than five tournaments and were completely overwhelmed. Against France, the Black Ferns set a new record for their highest score against Les Bleus, surpassing the 54 points they scored in Sao Paulo in 2014-15. They now have a 39-4 record against France and dominated a team that included six players with five or fewer tournaments under their belts. The 44-7 semi-final blowout of the USA was similarly one-sided. The USA had six players who had played five or fewer tournaments.

“I think the level of the game fluctuates. In a post-Olympics cycle, teams lose many older players, and it takes time for them to grow. We’ve been through that. I don’t think Sevens is becoming less competitive, you have to turn up on the day and hit the ground running from the outset,” Paul said.

In Perth, the Black Ferns are grouped with Japan and Fiji, whom they have never lost to, and the USA, whom they have beaten 41 times in 49 SVNS matches.

Mahina’s sister, Kanyon Paul, played in the Dame Farah Palmer Cup for Waikato and Bay of Plenty and has since played in the NRLW with the Warriors. Another sister, Mererangi Paul, is a Black Ferns fifteen-a-side winger who has scored 14 tries in 14 Tests.