Ignite7 returns as New Zealand Rugby looks to unearth future sevens stars

Future sevens stars will have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Olympic gold medallist Jazmin Felix-Hotham and Melbourne Storm flyer William Warbrick, with New Zealand Rugby confirming the venue and date for the Ignite7 tournament.

NZR has revealed the fourth edition of the highly successful competition will be held at Blake Park in Tauranga on November 1-2. 48 young athletes will be chosen to compete, with four men’s and women’s squads taking the field across the two-day event.

Those selected will be allocated a place in the men’s and women’s Bolt, Inferno, Power and Surge. NZR will announce the playing rosters of each side within the next fortnight – and these aren’t the only sides playing that weekend either.

Both the Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens will participate in warm-up matches ahead of the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Series season. They will take on Australia and Fiji, while Japan’s women’s side will also take to the field.

When Ignite7 first began in 2018, then-rising star Warbrick stood out as one of the players of the tournament. Warbrick has since represented the All Blacks Sevens at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and recently played in the NRL Grand Final with the Melbourne Storm.

“The numbers of players who have progressed through Ignite7 shows the value of the programme and we know that there is some talent that will emerge through our pathways in the next two year,” New Zealand Rugby Head of Men’s High Performance, Mike Anthony, said.

“This tournament week represents a massive opportunity for young players to showcase their talent and to rub shoulders with our current Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens players and coaches. It’s an important step in our high performance sevens pathway.”

Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes and All Blacks halfback Kyle Preston participated in the second edition six years ago, before a host of future stars made their mark the following year at the 2020 event.

Caleb Tangitau was among the standouts, along with Fehi Feineganofo, Mahina Paul, Manaia Nuku and Felix-Hotham. Ignite7 has provided a genuine pathway for young players to wear the black jersey at senior level, and NZR are confident new talent will emerge from this year’s event.

“There is incredible talent coming through in the women’s game. Some of the athletes at Ignite this year will be from the National Combine we ran earlier this year which unearthed some exceptional athletes, while others are further along in their development,” New Zealand Rugby Head of Women’s High Performance Hannah Porter explained.

“We expect some stars will emerge quickly, but crucially this will also give us a chance to look further ahead at the athletes we believe can be ready for LA 2028 and build competition among a wider group of players.”