All Blacks, Australia 7s teams to play Fiji at Churchill Park

The Fijiana team training at the fmf Gymnasium in Suva. Photo: FRU

The Fiji Rugby Union today confirmed that the New Zealand 7s men’s and women’s teams are in the country to participate in a mini-tournament against Fiji Airways Fijian and Fijiana 7s teams.

The competition will also include the Australian men’s team who are expected to arrive in the country this weekend.

FRU Chief Executive John O’Connor said they have arranged this competition so that the teams get much-needed game time and tournament practice before the next leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Vancouver and Singapore.

“The All Blacks 7s women’s team will also feature in the Leg 3 of Fun Flavour Super 7s Series in Nadi which kicks off on Thursday at Prince Charles Park,” O’Connor said.

The visitors from New Zealand replace Waitui Waidroka who are sitting at the bottom of the Women’s ranking after the last two legs. They are in Pool A with Army, Valkyries and Marist.

Fiji Airways Fijian 7s Head Coach Ben Gollings said it’s fantastic that they could host Australia and New Zealand here in Fiji.

“It’s good for us both on and off the field and it is very important for our preparation. It will also provide us a much-needed hit out against international opposition leading into the next two legs,” Gollings said.

“We will be able to get a gauge on how we are tracking and its valuable experience for our players who have not played a lot of international rugby.”

Gollings said that both teams have not played a lot of rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been particularly difficult for New Zealand as they have been starved of the ability to play games.

“Both teams will be relishing the opportunity to play games and put all the hard work and practice out on the field,” Gollings said.

“The great thing about 7s is that although we are opponents on the field there is always a willingness to support each other’s game.”

Fiji Airways Fijiana 7s Head Coach Saiasi Fuli also shared the same sentiments.

“It will be good to play against the Olympic Gold Medalists the All Blacks 7s team leading up to next two legs in Langford and Toulouse,” Fuli said.

“Both teams will be able to gauge their fitness, game plans, and set pieces during the two days of the tournament in Lautoka.”

All Blacks 7s Head Coach Clark Laidlaw said:
“We are so excited to travel to Fiji and have the opportunity to play live rugby against such quality oppositions.

“It is crucial to get live rugby again and give our team the excitement and energy live rugby brings.

“It has been a very difficult period for our teams not being able to travel and play and we are extremely grateful that Fiji Rugby is helping us with this opportunity to prepare for the World Rugby Sevens Series events coming up as well as starting our preparation for Commonwealth Games and World Cup.”

All Blacks 7s women’s Head Coach Cory Sweeney said:

“Black Fern 7s have not played in a tournament against international teams since the Olympic Games in 2021, and what better team to test ourselves against than Fiji.

“One of the best 7s teams in the World.

“We are extremely appreciating of the support Fiji Rugby has shown us and the openness for us to enter the local tournament which will hopefully benefit all teams involved.

“We have an exciting group of young players traveling to Fiji who has been waiting for an opportunity to play on the international stage for a while and now they get to test themselves against some of the best players in the game.”

Australian 7s men’s Head Coach John Manenti also thanked Fiji Rugby and believes it’s an excellent learning curve for all teams participating before the international meet.

“We are a young team that’s still finding our way on the world stage with only 3 players in our squad having played more than 10 World Series events.”

Find below the fixtures of the tournament at Churchill Park.
Day 1, 18th March, 2022

10.00 Fijiana V NZ Women
10.20am Fiji Babas V Australia
10.40am Fiji Warriors V New Zealand
1.30pm Fijiana V New Zealand
1.50pm Fiji Babas V Fiji Warriors
4.10pm New Zealand V Australia (M)
5.00pm Fijiana V New Zealand
5.20pm Fiji Babas V Australia
5.40pm Fiji Warriors V New Zealand

Day 2 – 19TH March, 2022
10.00am Fijiana 7s V New Zealand
10.20am Fiji Babas V Australia
10.40am Fiji Warriors V New Zealand
1.30pm Fijiana V New Zealand
1.50pm Fiji Babas V Fiji Warriors
2.10pm New Zealand V Australia
5.00pm Fijiana V New Zealand
5.20pm Fiji Warriors V Australia
5.40pm Fiji Babas V New Zealand

NZ Sevens sides off to Fiji before World Series return

The Black Ferns Sevens celebrate their gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: Photosport

The All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens will return to international action in Fiji this month, before rejoining the World Series after two years away.

Kiwi teams pull out of Spain events

Black Ferns players Kelly Brazier, Sarah Hirini and Portia Woodman show off their gold medal’s at last year’s Olympics in Tokyo. Photo: Getty Images

The long wait for the All Blacks and Black Ferns Sevens teams to return to the World Series will continue, with both having withdrawn from this month’s two tournaments in Spain.

Having not played on the circuit since its shut down in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, both the Kiwi men’s and women’s teams missed the opening two rounds in Dubai in November-December last year, but had been scheduled to play on the next stops in Malaga (January 21-23) and Seville (January 28-30).

Pacific Island teams can become powerhouses

Ex-Wallaby Israel Folau can play for Tonga from 2022 after parting ways with Rugby Australia two years ago. Photo:

The likes of former All Black Charles Piutau and ex-Wallaby Israel Folau can play for Tonga from 2022 after a groundbreaking World Rugby council vote last month.

The council voted to amend World Rugby’s eligibility rules to allow players to change Test teams during their career after a three-year stand-down period and providing they have “a genuine, close, credible and established national link” to the country they now wish to represent (such as having a parent or grandparent who was born there). Under the previous regulations, a Test player could only change allegiance through an unintended Olympic sevens loophole.

New Zealand men’s and women’s teams won’t take part in World Rugby sevens series

The Black Ferns march onto a pitch to play. Photo: World Rugby

The Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens teams will not take part in the HSBC World Sevens series until current travel restrictions are lifted.

According to an article titled ‘HSBC New Zealand Sevens won’t happen in 2022’ in the New Zealand Rugby website allblacks.com the teams would not be taking part.

Our long-lost friends return for a family reunion

Fiji skipper Esala Teleni (left) and Sydney counterpart Simon Poidevin contest a lineout ball in the Sydney Sports Ground on July 13, 1985. Photo: Getty Images.

The acceptance of the inclusion of the Fijian Drua as a franchise for one of the 12 teams in the revamped Super Rugby Pacific competition is a welcome gesture of established rugby unions New Zealand and Australia for Pacific Island nations Fiji and the Polynesians in the region.

The Moana Pacific and Fijian Drua are new inclusions in the Super Rugby Pacific 2022 season which has five franchises each from the Kiwis and Australia.

After two years Kiwis atop world rankings

The Flying Fijians score a try against New Zealand in the first Test match on July 10. Photo: Photosport

New Zealand has returned to the top of world rugby rankings today displacing Rugby World Cup champions South Africa since October, 2019.

With the results of the Rugby Championship dictating terms for the top three ranked teams, the Kiwis four straight wins and thanks to the Wallabies two straights wins against the Springboks, opened the door for neighbours, the All Blacks to sneak in.

‘I want it in writing’: Rugby Australia’s $5 million Bledisloe threat

Fijian born winger Sevu Reece and five-eighth Richie Mounga celebrate an All Blacks’ Bledisloe win. Photo: Getty Images.

Rugby Australia has asked New Zealand Rugby for a written guarantee they will get on a plane and play in a rescheduled Bledisloe Cup game in Perth on September 4, and have threatened to pass on a $5 million bill if they don’t.

Kuruvoli, Volavola may combine again in second Test against All Blacks

Flying Fijians Manasa Mataele and Eneriko Buliruarua try to stop a grubber from All Blacks centre David Havili. Photo: FRU

With three Australian halves not confirmed to make it in time, Flying Fijians head coach Vern Cotter may have to stick with last week’s combination of Simione Kuruvoli and Ben Volavola in the second Test against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Speaking in a Fiji Rugby Union media Zoom conference from Hamilton this afternoon Cotter said the team would have to adapt if the players from Australia didn’t make it, the team was prepared to do the best they could with what was available to them.