Inside the Australia v New Zealand rivalry dominating women’s SVNS

Isabella Nasser may only be 22 and in her third season as an international sevens player, but Australia’s new skipper is already very well aware that things are a little different when it is the Black Ferns lined up on the other side of the pitch. 

“The intensity of rugby just goes up by about 10 notches when we face each other,” Nasser said. “I am sure they feel the same way about us.” 

Nasser was speaking just after leading her team to the HSBC SVNS title in Dubai, courtesy of a brilliant four-point win over New Zealand in the final – a result that meant a lot. 

“I must admit that before the final we were pretty fired up. Our warm-up was crisp and the changing room was firing,” Nasser said. “It’s pretty hard to top tonight.” 

‘It’s always my favourite game’

A brief look at the recent record between the two teams explains why the Australian camp was bouncing in Dubai. 

Take the inaugural HSBC SVNS season. Australia won the first two legs, with New Zealand losing finalists once. Then the Kiwis finished off the season in some style, grabbing the final four titles. That run included the Singapore SVNS. 

The teams, who had arrived in the Asian capital locked together at the top of the table, met in the final. A 31-21 win gave the Black Ferns the League crown. 

As if that was not enough, the two nations met in the semi-finals of June’s Grand Final in Madrid. Towards the end of a breathless match, New Zealand appeared to hold all the cards, leading 19-7 with barely a minute left on the clock. 

Somehow, Australia snatched it with the last kick of the game. 

It is no wonder every win means so much, to both sides. 

“It’s always, always my favourite game versus the Kiwis, it’s very competitive,” said Nasser, who took over the captaincy from legend Charlotte Caslick, just before landing in Dubai. 

“Tonight was really just an epic show of what both teams can put on. It always comes down to the wire. There were a few clutch moments from a few of the girls in our team. And yeah, we came out on top, which was exciting.” 

Both Nasser, scorer of the try that took the Aussies nine points clear at half-time, and player of the final Caslick, whose defensive efforts held a relentless New Zealand at bay in the second half, were critical to victory. 

“It was awesome,” Nasser said. “I don’t think I could have scripted it in a better way.” 

‘There’s always a bit of tension’

This is a rivalry that goes way back. In the four rugby sevens women’s World Cups from 2009 to 2018, the nations shared two each. 

Australia took New Zealand’s 2018 Commonwealth Games title off them in 2022, beating them by five points in a nail-biting semi-final. 

It is no wonder Black Fern Alena Saili, a veteran of both of those Commonwealth Games campaigns, admits the relationship is not always easy. 

“There’s always a bit of tension between us and the Aussies,” Saili said in Dubai, laughing. “For me it’s because we know at some point we are going to crossover with them. And knowing we have always had these games where it goes back and forth between us and them – they get one, we get one over them.” 

Saili and her team-mates have got it right on the biggest of stages recently. First grabbing gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and then, last summer, successfully defending it when many had Australia as slight favourites. 

For Saili that result – Australia finished empty-handed in fourth – was an anomaly. 

“Across the board they’ve got good players,” Saili said. “They are fit and fast. Their style of game against us provides really good rugby for the world to see. 

“It just makes me excited to play them. And beat them.” 

‘No punch ups or anything’

That is clearly the key: both sides have plenty of admiration for each other, but that doesn’t mean much when they go head-to-head. 

“New Zealand have a pretty lethal style of rugby. It’s always a good match-up. They’ve got incredible athletes and people in their team,” Nasser said.

“We have a whole lot of respect for the New Zealand girls. Always saying hello, always, smiling in the breakfast room and stuff like that. No punch ups or anything off the field …. but it’s always nice when we get a win over them.” 

The two teams do not have long to wait for a likely next instalment of a battle that never stops giving: the HSBC Cape Town SVNS kicks off on Saturday 7 December. Do not miss it.