All Black and Black Fern Sevens enjoy Hong Kong tournament double

The Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens sides celebrate their victory in Hong Kong.
Photo: Supplied: World Rugby

The All Black Sevens have won the Hong Kong Sevens tournament for the first time in almost ten years, while the Black Ferns have won their fifth tournament on the trot.

It’s the second time this season the two New Zeland sides have achieved a tournament double.

The last time the New Zealand men’s side had won the Hong Kong tournament in 2014.

Cody Vai opened the scoring with just 30 seconds on the clock of the men’s cup final as the All Blacks opened with a statement of intent against Fiji in their first Hong Kong final since 2016, with Sione Molia doubling their try tally six minutes later, before Carter struck to take the score to 19-0.

Vuiviwa Naduvalu finished off a length-of-the-pitch try 60 seconds later to get Fiji on the board, but Nigardhi McGarvey-Black extended the All Blacks’ lead again to 24-7.

Joseva Talacolo got Fiji’s second early in the second half and a consolation third on the final whistle.

“I’m speechless, to be honest. I’m just super proud and stoked with the efforts of our boys. They left it all out there on the field,” said All Black sevens player Sione Molia.

The men’s Series has seen five different winners (Australia, Samoa, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand) through the opening eight tournaments. New Zealand, who won tournaments in Sydney, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, currently sit atop the Series standings with 142 points, followed by Argentina (121), who won in Hamilton and Vancouver, closely trailed by Hong Kong runners-up Fiji with 113 points.

After six tournaments in the women’s New Zealand dominate standings with 118 points having won the last five tournaments in Cape Town, Hamilton, Sydney, Vancouver and Hong Kong.

Australia (102), are the only other nation to have won a tournament in Dubai, sit 12 points ahead of USA at 90 points.

“We had a theme of this trip, and that was we needed to bring back the legacy of what the Black Ferns Sevens started back in 2000, winning the Hong Kong Sevens when it obviously wasn’t a World Series tournament then,” said Black Ferns player Michaela Blyde.

The men’s teams move straight on to Singapore for the next round on April 8th-9th.

The women’s Series now takes a break before the final tournament of the season in Toulouse, France on May 12th-14th.

-RNZ