‘I’ve hit 39.9 km/h’: Michael Manson’s path to the All Blacks Sevens

New Zealand led rivals Australia 24-10 when they packed down for a final-play scrum at HSBC SVNS Singapore last weekend. Kele Lasaqa could’ve ended it there by kicking the ball into touch, but the All Blacks Sevens and their debutant on the wing had another plan.

Michael Manson lined up near the left sideline as the forwards contested the set-piece, jogging 15 metres in from touch as the ball was fed to the backline. SVNS Series veteran Regan Ware received the ball in midfield before throwing a “Hail Mary” out wide.

Manson caught the ball above his head, about four metres out from the try line, with Australia’s Will Cartwright closing in on defence. This wasn’t the plan; Ware was supposed to boot the ball ahead for Manson to chase, but the winger improvised.

With an all-time top “rugby speed of 39.9 km/h”, there’s a reason Manson’s name was in rugby headlines leading up to SVNS Singapore. The 24-year-old brings x-factor and serious pace into the All Blacks Sevens set-up, as fans saw against the Aussies.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by RugbyPass (@rugbypass)

Manson kicked the ball ahead, had Cartwright beaten for pace, and managed to get boot to ball for a second time with a ‘soccer’ kick. The ball sat up perfectly, almost as if it were destiny, as Manson ran in for the try – a highlight that’s gone viral on NZ Sevens’ socials.

“I talked to a few of the boys before… I said to a couple of the boys before I got on, I said the first play and I get to touch it, I’m kicking it and just chasing,” Manson told RugbyPass.

“They gave me the confidence. They said yep, they’re happy. They just threw it out to me. The kick was actually meant to come from Regan but we got put under pressure a bit so he gave me a bit of a Hail Mary pass and luckily the bounce came back my way.”

Manson is a former 100 metre sprint champion at Otago Boys’ High School, but “every kid’s dream in New Zealand is to wear the black jersey,” and he’s no different. The flyer pursued rugby, initially on an Academy deal in Otago, later getting some minutes in the NPC.

Otago had “serious firepower” out wide with Vilimoni Koroi, Freedom Vaha’akolo, Viliame Fine, Jona Nareki and Matt Faddes all competing for spots. Manson debuted in New Zealand’s provincial competition off the bench in a 34-10 defeat to Hawke’s Bay on August 14, 2021.

Manson secured a dream move down to “my team growing up” Southland, making four starts in five appearances during the 2022 campaign. The winger came off the pine against Otago, earned a maiden start against Waikato, and crossed for a double the following week away to Bay of Plenty.

The 24-year-old has gone on to play more than 25 matches in the famed maroon jersey, which included a career-best nine appearances last season. Manson scored three tries against Tasman on September 26, 2025, and it all comes back to the decision to sign with the Stags.

“I don’t think setbacks were the thing. I was probably a bit impatient at the start, as every player wants to, they just want to get straight into it and start playing,” Manson reflected.

“I think once I wrapped my head around just being patient and trusting the process, it all just started to fall into place.

“It was an awesome year to learn (with Otago), and I think that’s where the patience was really key. I just had to learn and then the opportunity came to move down to Southland and that was my team growing up and I guess it was a no-brainer.

“They’ve just given me the confidence to play the way I do and just back myself.”

Manson left New Zealand’s shores for a brief period in 2024 after signing a two-year deal with Major League Rugby side the Utah Warriors. After debuting away to the Houston SaberCats in the opening round, Manson would make another 11 appearances that season, scoring 14 tries.

Utah beat the Dallas Jackals 50-46 in a high-scoring thriller on June 23, 2024, with Manson standing out with a four-try haul. Manson backed up that performance with a double against RFC Los Angeles, which was the final match in his rookie MLR season.

“The dream is to play rugby all year round,” he added.

“I wanted to play but there wasn’t really many opportunities in New Zealand, all the outsides were locked up, no spots really opening.

“(Utah coach) Greg Cooper from the Utah Warriors gave me a shot and I reckon that was the best move ever. It made me fall in love with the game, it gave me some more confidence, understood the game a bit more and got to see the world.

“It was probably one of the best moves I’ve ever made for my career.”

Back in New Zealand, Manson linked up with the Highlanders, featuring in three matches for the Super Rugby Pacific outfit. Manson debuted away to the NSW Waratahs in round one, and later played Moana Pasifika in round three and the Western Force in round eight.

It was an “unreal experience” as Manson explained it, but the opportunity to represent New Zealand on the international sporting stage proved too good to turn down. Manson was named in the All Blacks Sevens’ squad for 2025/26, with the team ushering in a new era this season.

Leroy Carter, Cody Vai, Tepaea Cook-Savage, Xavier Tito-Harris, Andrew Knewstubb, are among the big-name players who have left the program. The All Blacks Sevens finished seventh on the league last season but bounced back in Dubai, winning the first event of this season.

Fast-forward to Manson’s try, that effort was part of the All Blacks Sevens’ journey to the semi-finals in Singapore last weekend. New Zealand were beaten by eventual champions Fiji 21-14 and were left to battle it out with South Africa for third-place.

Manson was the hero for the All Blacks Sevens in that one.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HSBC SVNS (@svnsseries)

Sebastiaan Jobb powered over for a try in the 10^th-minute, which gave the Blitzboks the lead with only a few minutes left. It looked like the reigning SVNS champions had done enough to hang on, only for Manson to chip and chase again, scoring another incredible try deep in the contest.

New Zealand won 14-12 after a successful conversion from Riley Williams.

“Every kid’s dream in New Zealand is to wear the black jersey and that’s always been mine. I think it became more realistic in the sevens path with how I play.

“When that opportunity came around, it wasn’t an opportunity I could turn down. I’m looking back at it now and I wish I’d done it sooner. It’s awesome to represent your country.

“I think the cool thing about the sevens (program) is it’s such a small group and there’s just a bunch of good bastards in here and right through the whole group, from players to coaches, and it’s made me fall in love with the game even more”

Manson has been named in the All Blacks Sevens squad for this weekend’s HSBC SVNS Series event at Perth’s HBF Park. It’s the third year in a row that Perth is hosting the world’s premier sevens circuit in Australia, with the All Blacks Sevens yet to win a title at the venue.