Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Black Ferns Sevens icons stand tall during second-half blitz in Perth

Jorja Miller of New Zealand receives the ball during the 2024 Perth SVNS women's match between New Zealand and Japan at HBF Park on January 26, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Stacey Waaka. Michaela Blyde. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. All three players will go down in history as icons of the Black Ferns Sevens, and they showed the world why once again on Friday.

ADVERTISEMENT

It didn’t come easy but defending world champions New Zealand kicked off their Perth SVNS campaign with a promising 29-5 win over Japan at Perth’s HBF Park.

The full-time score might not necessarily show that the game was close, but Japan shot out of the blocks with an admirable start. They certainly threatened to take the lead, too.

Video Spacer

Jorja Miller talks to RugbyPass after the Black Ferns beat Japan | Perth SVNS

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:27
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:27
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Jorja Miller talks to RugbyPass after the Black Ferns beat Japan | Perth SVNS

    Jazmin Felix-Hotham scored the opener for the New Zealanders in the second minute, but after a try to Japan’s Michiyo Suda shortly after, Felix-Hotham was shown a yellow card.

    Down to six players, the Black Ferns Sevens were on the back foot. While their backs weren’t exactly up against the ropes, the Kiwis braced for a defining two-minute period.

    But they stood tall. The first half was scoreless from that point, with the previously mentioned legends – including another generational talent – piling on the points.

    That ‘generational talent’ is none other than Jorja Miller – the teenager who signed the longest contract by a women’s player in New Zealand last November.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Waaka, Blyde, Woodman-Wickliffe and Miller all lived up to their reputations as world-class players during a second-half blitz from Australia’s neighbours from across the ditch.

    “I’m not the new girl anymore but it’s cool,” Miller told RugbyPass after the match.

    Related

    “Being able to go out there and keep doing my job. The main thing is having fun and sevens is all fun.

    “Being out there with the girls, I can’t complain and the pressure’s just on the outside.

    “Being able to have cool, calm-headed players across the field makes it a lot easier,” she added.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Especially for when the girls come on and bring impact, to stay connected and just stay calm, trust our process.

    “It’s pretty special to have such an experienced bunch.”

    It was a tough afternoon for everyone, not just the New Zealanders, on Australia’s west coast. With the temperature up around 30 degrees Celsius, players braced for gruelling matches.

    Miller, 19, walked off the field still breathing heavily after the match. The rising star was exhausted, but she still let out a chuckle when asked about the heat.

    It’s hot in Perth – and that’s underselling it.

    “I thought we had an upper hand coming from summer, whereas some of the countries are coming from winter but it’s definitely hot out here,” Miller said.

    “We thought we’d be able to cope because it’s been windy the last couple of days but nah, it’s hot on that field.

    “It’s been hot at home so we thought ‘surely this is good enough’ but we’ve been in the saunas trying to adjust.

    “But there’s nothing like the heat playing rugby.”

    The Black Ferns Sevens had their 41-game unbeaten streak brought to an end in the final of last month’s Dubai SVNS out in the desert. Australia emerged victorious that night.

    Australia continued to stamp their authority on the SVNS Series in Cape Town a week later, while their Trans-Tasman rivals fell short with a shock loss to France in the semis.

    But they’re not panicking. The Black Ferns Sevens are focusing on themselves as they look to bounce back in Perth.

    “From the start of the season, we’ve known our journey and we’ve really bought into that so we’ve done a lot of work on our vision, our team culture and connection.

    “We trust that if we all buy into that, the results should follow.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

    Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

    The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

    KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

    New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

    France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    Lions Share | Episode 4

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    1 Comment
    P
    Pecos 547 days ago

    The Ferns were crap in the 1st half. What a mess. Against a stronger team they would’ve been smashed.


    Thankfully they got back on track, somewhat, in beating Ireland in game 2. Still much to do.


    Australia’s shock loss to GBR shows that Sevens is never a done deal. You have to be sharp at all times.


    Let’s go Ferns!!!

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    J
    JW 58 minutes ago
    Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

    I don’t get that. I got the opposite, this was something Lester really really wanted to do. NZR is not going to stop him doing that by putting ridiculous money in front of him (noted you were only asking for fair money).


    I wouldn’t say this was a Mo’unga or Frizell situation where there talent only was unlocked after they signed abroad, when Schmidt and Ryan came in respectively. LF was on a good trajectory, and he just decided he has the perfect window of opportunity to go abroad while he’s not first choice, learn and live in France to come back better and have a good shot at the perfect age. I think he recongised that.


    Agreed that our rotation has been off the the last decade, players have not been moved on when they should, but I wouldn’t include Rieko in that discussion, though I would accept he is more of a marketing than performance signing.


    Also agree it is a strange condunrum that results from the misalligned seasons, where Lester is straight into NPC in the same season almost. When really the ‘start’ of his contract is next year. Is he even going to be on the payroll at the moment? Could it be used as a double dip to encourage players back, a ‘bonus international season’ of match fees.


    But they also don’t want them to become anymore common. So perhaps everything is fine? Like I was alluding to with Toko, they would need multiple markers of their own in Top 14 for them to be able to gauge off. As I’ve said in previous articles I’d be comfortable to expand sabbaticals to 2 in every position (yes a huge change), so that the was a core group of 30 of the top players all aligned with the ABs and overseas at any one time. This would ensure there are good markers to correlate levels of performance amongst everyone. This is a very similar setup/size to South Africa. It is like the AB modem in a wider organism, the vets are shipped off much earlier, and the core of next cycle is brought through. No missing out on the JGPs or Aki’s, no the Antonio’s or young Patrick Tuifua’s to france, keeping the Chandler Cunningham-South’s or Roots brothers, evan this Dubious guy from the French team was playing rugby here in NZ and could have stayed with a more ground up focus on bringing players through, not paying them much etc lol

    45 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC