‘Watched that a hundred times’: Black Ferns Sevens out for revenge in Spain

The Black Ferns Sevens are in a rich vein of form, having won 10 of the last 11 SVNS Cup finals they’ve contested, all against Australia.

Yet there is an additional edge as they head to Valladolid, Spain, for the second and penultimate leg of the World Championship.

Despite winning their last 26 consecutive matches and five tournaments in a row, Madrid 2024 still irks.

In that one-off Spanish World Championship, New Zealand was beaten by Australia 21-19 in the semi-final, conceding two tries in a calamitous final minute.

Down 19-7, Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Caslick put Faith Nathan over in the corner, with Tia Hinds nailing an improbable sideline conversion as the full-time siren wailed in the background.

There was time for the restart. Australia went sideways, backwards, and forwards. The oval was juggled and bounce passes collected. The tenacious Sariah Paki made an incisive charge to within 30m of the line. A quick recycle saw Caslick with space on the left. New Zealand covered her run but couldn’t prevent the offload to Maddison Levi, who tied the scores. Hinds’ conversion was flawless, and Australia went on to be crowned champions. The Black Ferns had won the previous four events in Vancouver, Hong Kong China, Los Angeles, and Singapore.

“We’ve watched that a hundred times,” Black Ferns Sevens talisman Stacey Waaka told RugbyPass.

“We mucked up the kick off badly, weren’t composed under pressure, missed tackles, and panicked.

“The cool thing about this group is that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards. We’re honest with each other, always looking for that extra edge. So yes, our last trip to Spain, which I love by the way – the food, the culture, the people – was not good, and we want to put that right.”

For most, a setback more than two years ago would be long forgotten, but there’s a reason the two-time Olympic gold medalist is known as “The Smiling Assassin.”

“It’s a metaphor,” Waaka laughed.

“Rikki Swannell started calling me that on commentary in 2019 when I started getting more game time covering injury to Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

“I love it, aye. I have the best bloody job in the world, so I should do it with a smile. It doesn’t have to be serious all the time. I was to play with joy in my heart while at the same time knowing that there is a job to do.”

The Black Ferns Sevens have done their job better than anyone for most of their history. They have won 62 of the 94 tournaments they have contested since 2000 and 533 of 585 matches across all competitions. Since 2012, in the SVNS era, they have won 48 of their 60 Cup final appearances. Twenty-seven of those wins have come in 37 matches against Australia. The Black Ferns Sevens have won 383 of 423 SVNS matches, with Waaka, a scorer of 138 tries, part of most of them, in addition to two Rugby World Cup fifteens triumphs.

In March, in New York, the Black Ferns Sevens rallied from 21–5 down with only 3:42 remaining to stun Australia 22-21 in the closest and most exciting Cup final of the season. Waaka highlighted that success as one of the best of her career.

“Besides winning in New York, that amazing city, for the first time, the way we won was incredible,” Waaka said.

“There’s been a lot of change in the team this year with younger girls coming in, bringing their fresh energy and skills.

“The biggest difference between them and me at their age is they’re not afraid to ask questions, even if they seem like dumb ones. They have an openness to learning and a confidence to express themselves, which is unreal.

“If you look at New York, everyone knows their role or picks the right moment to influence the game. The turnovers by Mahina Paul and Jorja Miller were massive, then the try at the end to Katelyn Vahaakolo, right beside the posts, perfect.

“We had Kelly Brazier retire this year. She was around for so long and did so much; I even think some of the younger girls on this team don’t appreciate her impact. She was that nagging voice at training and on the field, putting everyone right. Believe it or not, I miss that. Nobody saw the game like her. She’s going to make a great coach.

Another highlight this season has been the explosive form of Kelsey Teneti. Despite losing her grandmother, Oma, she was the player of the tournament in Perth for the first time and sits third on the season try-scoring tally with 33.

“There aren’t many people that could do what Kelsey has done, character, resilience, working through adversity, just awesome,” Waaka acknowledged

“ Kelsey can be quite hard on herself, which sometimes creates doubt. It’s special to see her express herself.”

The Black Ferns Sevens are grouped with Argentina, whom they’ve never played; Brazil, whom they’ve outscored 812-102 in 23 consecutive wins; and Japan, whom they’ve beaten 24 times in a row by an average score of 37-6.