Ahead of September’s Rugby World Cup Sevens competition, the All Blacks and Black Ferns have named their respective squads for the South Africa tournament.
Both teams are defending their previous titles and will head into the knockout-format tournament with plenty of confidence after some impressive wins in recent series.
The All Blacks Sevens side lost four of their players last weekend in Los Angeles, ruling them out for selection for the World Cup.
However, the squad still boasts enormous international experience, headlined by co-captains Sam Dickson and Sione Molia, with support from stars including Kurt Baker, Dylan Collier and Scott Curry.
Dickson and Molia will look to guide the side to back-to-back World Cup titles, having previously clinched the Cup back in San Francisco’s 2018 tournament.
Two significant milestones will also be celebrated in the Black Ferns Sevens squad as rookie Jorja Miller gears up for her international debut and captain Sarah Hirini prepares to become the first member to reach 50 tournament appearances for the side.
While Hirini’s achievement is an admirable effort, coach Corey Sweeney has marked 18-year-old Miller as a “standout” member of the international team.
“We’ve watched Jorja since she was 15 years old and she’s been a standout amongst her peers,” Sweeney said in a press release.
“We had internal games last week and there was no question, she stood up and really earned her selection.”
The Black Ferns Sevens will look to go further than their Commonwealth Games bronze medal effort to reach the final and retain their World Cup title.
The side will open its campaign against Colombia, while the All Blacks Sevens will face the winner of the match between Scotland and Jamaica.
All Blacks Sevens team:
Kurt Baker
Dylan Collier
Scott Curry
Sam Dickson
Moses Leo
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black
Sione Molia
Tone Ng Shiu
Amanaki Nicole
Lewis Ormond
Akuila Rokolisoa
Brady Rush
Caleb Tangitau
Regan Ware
Black Ferns Sevens team:
Michaela Blyde
Kelly Brazier
Stacey Fluhler
Sarah Hirini
Jazmin Felix-Hotham
Shiray Kaka
Jorja Miller
Risaleeana Pouri-Lane
Alena Saili
Niall Williams
Tenika Willison
Portia Woodman
Travelling reserves: Manaia Nuku and Mahina Paul
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