World Cup star Sorensen-McGee will be even better on the SVNS Series

If you’re a newly minted rugby fan learning about SVNS for the first time, it’s likely the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup brought you here.

Aside from being a spectacular and record-breaking event, England 2025 also elevated some of the world’s best sevens stars to new heights – take your pick from SVNS alumni Ellie Kildunne, Ilona Maher, Asia Hogan-Rochester, and Jorja Miller.

But if there’s one World Cup name that should have tongues wagging ahead of Dubai’s Series opener, it’s 19-year-old Black Ferns star Braxton Sorensen-McGee.

The Auckland teenager was already one of New Zealand’s hottest rugby prospects after lighting up the Farah Palmer Cup and Super Rugby Aupiki while completing high school, but few could’ve predicted how brightly she’d shine on the international stage in 2025.

A two-try Test debut against Australia in May saw her fast-tracked into New Zealand’s World Cup squad and it wasn’t long before Sorensen-McGee became a household name after banking a tournament-high 69 points and 11 tries to help steer the Black Ferns to a bronze medal.

With 14 tries from just nine Tests and the rugby world at her feet, Sorensen-McGee is now set to be unleashed on the SVNS Series and debut in Dubai.

Sorensen-McGee is no stranger to the seven-a-side game – she co-captained New Zealand to third place at the 2025 Global Youth Cup earlier this year – and earlier this month earned selection in coach Corey Sweeney’s Ignite 7s side to face Australia, Japan and Fiji.

Sorensen-McGee was joined at the Ignite 7s by Black Ferns teammates Katelyn Vahaakolo, Stacey Waaka and sevens newcomer Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai’I Slyvia Brunt, who is widely recognised as one of the world’s best fifteen-a-side midfielders.

It appears a matter of when – not if – Sweeney elevates Brunt to the Black Fern Sevens, who will be without Sarah Hirini for the 2025/2026 SVNS Series after the skipper’s pregnancy announcement.

But while Brunt’s power game is yet to be called upon in Hirini’s absence, the prospect of Sorensen-McGee with additional space on a sevens field should have rivals on notice.

She’ll debut alongside Auckland teammate and fellow teenager Danii Mafoe, who earned her first Super Rugby Aupiki cap earlier in 2025 and has rocketed into contention.