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Why the All Blacks Sevens are ‘confident’ before historic leg in Hong Kong
SVNS Series veteran Dylan Collier is back from an injury layoff and ready to lead the All Blacks Sevens into battle as they look to become the last team to take out Cup final glory at the iconic Hong Kong Stadium this weekend.
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From 2025, Kai Tak Sports Park will stage the event in Hong Kong China. For those who have enjoyed some famous moments at the venue over the years, this is the final chapter with another about to be written.
New Zealand won the Hong Kong Sevens for the first time in 1986. The likes of Sir Wayne Smith, David Kirk and Sir Wayne Shelford helped steer the rugby-mad nation to glory at what had become an unmissable celebration of the sport.
Other All Blacks have tried their hand at rugby’s shorter format and starred including Jonah Lomu. But it was New Zealand’s latest success which quite possibly stands above all others as a truly momentous occasion for rugby.
Captain Collier hoisted the Hong Kong Sevens trophy in triumph at last year’s event and did so with legendary Black Fern Sarah Hirini standing beside him. That was the first time the women’s international circuit had stopped in Hong Kong China.
As fireworks shot into the night sky at Hong Kong Stadium, both New Zealand teams let out a cheer in sheer jubilation, glory and relief. It’s not an easy tournament to win as Dylan Collier will tell you.
“I’ve played the most tournaments here in my team. I think this is my sixth time here and I’ve only actually won it once,” Collier told RugbyPass after the captain’s photo at Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday.
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“It’s a hard tournament to win. There’s not a lot of teams that have won here.
“It’s just a different feeling when you win here, just all that history. This is where the game of sevens started.
“We’re pretty confident coming into this weekend and there’s a lot of boys really wanting to rip in and play well.”
Looking to go back-to-back at the spiritual home of rugby sevens, the All Blacks Sevens have been dealt some mixed injury news with the return of Collier a clear highlight.
Collier was injured during New Zealand’s first match at SVNS Perth in January and has not taken to the field since. But more than two months on, the Olympian is back in black.
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The 32-year-old has recovered from a torn calf to lead New Zealand at the Hong Kong Sevens from Friday to Sunday. It’s an important inclusion with other key players missing the event through injury.
2023 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year nominees Leroy Carter and Akuila Rokolisoa have been ruled out, as has veteran Tim Mikkelson. About eight players are unavailable in total.
“That’s been a little bit of the tough thing this year too is we can’t get a consistent team out on the field. We’re changing teams just about every tournament,” Collier added.
“It’s just about next man up and the next person’s got to do the job.
“Obviously Leroy and Sam Dickson and that, they’re obviously big parts of our team, but it’s got to be the next man up.”
But for the All Blacks Sevens, the past is not their focus. This is a team that’s focused simply on “what we can control.”
New Zealand have missed the Cup quarter-finals twice this season but also made the final at SVNS Vancouver at BC Place Stadium in late February.
This is an All Blacks Sevens outfit that might not be the finished product just yet, but they’ve still got plenty of “confidence” that they can win it all on one of the biggest stages in rugby sevens.
“Obviously we haven’t played that well this year,” he explained. ‘…but we still want to play well and we haven’t been.
“We can only control what we can control and we’ve been training well and that’s what’s been giving us confidence.
“We went over to Fiji and played at the Marist Sevens which was an awesome tournament. We trained today, and played against Japan and Hong Kong.
“The pleasing part is we know we can win and we know we can play well. It’s just about putting it out on the park.”
New Zealand are set to play SVNS LAX finalists Great Britain first up on Friday afternoon (local time) before also playing Series frontrunners Argentina and the United States in Pool B.
Comments on RugbyPass
The level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
36 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
11 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
36 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
36 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
36 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
3 Go to comments