Maddison Levi scores six as Australia fly through day one in Valladolid

Maddison Levi scored six tries in two matches as Australia flew through day one at HSBC SVNS Valladolid with an unbeaten 2-0 record. New Zealand and France remain unbeaten heading into the weekend, with valuable World Championship points up for grabs.

Australia co-captain Madison Ashby raced away for an early try in a 26-12 win over South Africa at Estadio José Zorilla, but it didn’t take Levi long to steal the show. The try-scoring machine touched down for a hat-trick and replicated those heroics later on.

Levi wasted no time making a mark against Fiji, crossing for the opening points inside the first minute. The 2024 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year added another 10 points to Australia’s lead during the second term, as the SVNS juggernaut triumphed 45-5.

Younger sister Teagan Levi recorded a double, while Heidi Dennis and Kaitlan Shave also got on the scoresheet during the point-scoring blitz. Australia will face the USA on day two to determine the top seed out of Pool B.

Jorja Miller continues to star for the Black Ferns Sevens, kicking things off with three tries on the opening day. New Zealand beat Argentina 38-7 and got the job done 40-12 over a Brazil side that qualified for the World Championship out of SVNS 2.

The Black Ferns Sevens, who took out the regular season title and secured a four-peat at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, will play Japan in their final pool match. Japan are unbeaten but are currently second in Pool A on points difference.

“Had a broken foot so couldn’t really do much but it was a speedy recovery,” New Zealand’s Jazmin Felix-Hotham told RugbyPass after returning from injury in Valladolid.

“Very fortunate to have a lot of great people to help me get back fast and help get me back on the Series.

“One of the special things about our team is that if someone goes down, the next person’s ready to step up. For me, watching Jaymie Kolose step up, playing centre, playing big minutes and just seeing her shine on the big stage, I couldn’t be anything but more proud.”

France and Canada will face off on Saturday to determine the top-ranked side out of Pool C, with both teams going through unbeaten on day one. They both secured wins over Spain and Great Britain and will look to build on those successes ahead of the quarters.

SVNS Valladolid

Women’s results

Pool A

Japan 24–7 Brazil

New Zealand 38–7 Argentina

Japan 33–10 Argentina

New Zealand 40–12 Brazil

Pool B

Fiji 26–19 USA

Australia 26–12 South Africa

USA 26–12 South Africa

Australia 45–5 Fiji

Pool C

Canada 35–5 Spain

France 34–0 Great Britain

Canada 21–12 Great Britain

France 33-7 vs Spain