Jorja Miller wants Sevens back on Kiwi soil

It’s now been three years since the SVNS circuit last graced New Zealand shores, and nearly 10 since its iconic Wellington event was cut. But there’s a new star in town wanting to see it return, and a new venue she thinks is tailor-made for it.

New Zealand’s 22-year-old superstar Jorja Miller hails from the South Canterbury town of Timaru, two hours from Christchurch’s brand-new One New Zealand Stadium, which welcomed 73,187 attendees over three days in its opening weekend for Super Round.

The Super Rugby Pacific festival weekend saw more than 20,000 fans travel to Christchurch, with the success of the event, financial and otherwise, leaving organisers and local authorities eager to host more events like it.

Miller was on hand to help New Zealand win the 2023 Hamilton Sevens event, and said she would “one hundred per cent” love to see the circuit return to New Zealand.

“I think the new stadium in Christchurch would be perfect,” she said. “Playing in front of your home crowd is the best feeling ever, so, hopefully in the future we can have sevens back in New Zealand.”

Miller, who signed a new contract this week keeping her in New Zealand until 2029, took the next step in her journey with the Black Ferns Sevens in the recent season to become a leader in the group.

She shared a candid insight into her journey with the new leadership responsibilities.

“It was a really big learning curve. It was a roller-coaster. There’s a lot you learn being in a leadership group, and I think it’s added a new element to my game that I wasn’t expecting. I used to play and just wing it and do whatever, but now I actually need to know what I’m doing, know how the team’s going, what the opposition is doing, and get a feel for that so that the team can rely on me when they really need to. It’s been exciting to step up into that role, and hopefully I can continue to do so for the team.”

While hoping for an event back in New Zealand, Miller and her squad have confirmed fixtures to prepare for, such as the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She says it’s important to take some winning momentum into the tournament, which she also helped steer her side to victory at in Paris in 2024.

“I guess the next SVNS World Series will be a massive one, being able to take the win in that and get the World Series trophies back in our hands for this season and the one prior to the Olympics. But I know that we’ve got a lot of little steps that we need to work through on the way to getting there, and hopefully, if we get the process right, then the results will look after themselves.”