Trio of All Blacks Sevens greats call time on iconic international careers

New Zealand Sevens made a significant announcement on Friday, revealing that three of the most decorated players in All Blacks Sevens history have hung up their boots. Tim Mikkelson, Scott Curry and Sam Dickson have called time on their illustrious sevens careers.

Before the new HSBC SVNS Series season gets underway in Dubai from November 30 to December 1, the All Blacks Sevens have bid farewell to three icons of the sport, with the team now preparing for life without some heroes from years gone by.

Mikkelson, Curry and Dickson are all part of an exclusive rugby sevens club. There aren’t many men or women who have achieved that the trio have, considering they’ve won overall titles on the now-called SVNS Series, at the Sevens World Cup, and Commonwealth Games.

All three have also captained the All Blacks Sevens.

In an interview with RugbyPass in May 2023, Dickson was in awe of Mikkelson ahead of the veteran’s 100^th tournament. From a hotel room in Toulouse, Dickson wore a ‘Tim Mikkelson 100’ t-shirt in a special effort to truly celebrate the incredible milestone.

To this day, Mikkelson is the only New Zealand Sevens player to represent the nation at 100 sevens tournaments. The 38-year-old made 104 appearances – which is the second-most out of any player in sevens history – and is the fourth-highest try-scorer of all time.

Curry leaves the sport as one of the world’s best forwards, which included inspiring performances on last season’s SVNS Series and at the Paris Olympics. As a long-serving captain of the team, Curry bows out as a world-class talent, having 71 caps to his name.

Then there’s Dickson. The former New Zealand AFL representative was the most recent of the trio to captain the team – which is just one highlight to speak of. Dickson played 77 tournaments in the black jersey, which included three Commonwealth Games and three Sevens World Cups.

“Scott, Tim and Sam have all made a significant contribution on and off the field to the All Blacks Sevens during their tenure. They have left an incredible mark on the game and have added to the legacy of the All Blacks Sevens,” New Zealand Rugby’s Head of Men’s High Performance, Mike Anthony, said in a statement.

“The success they have had in the black jersey is a credit to their leadership, work ethic and dedication to the game. On behalf of New Zealand Rugby, I want to thank them for their incredible service and wish them well for their future endeavours.”

Dickson has confirmed that he’s retired from all rugby, but it’s not the same story for the other two as of yet.

Mikkelson and Curry are only stepping away from the professional game at this stage.

Without the likes of Mikkelson, Curry, Dickson, Che Clark (Blues), Leroy Carter (Chiefs) and Fehi Fineanganofo (Hurricanes), this feels like the dawn of a new era for the All Blacks Sevens as they look ahead to Dubai and Cape Town to start the season.