HSBC SVNS PERTH: Brake’s off in search of Woodman-Wickliffe’s try record

Brake closes to within two of all-time record

Records, the cliche goes, are made to be broken. And New Zealand’s Michaela Brake is on the verge of overtaking the great Portia Woodman Wickliffe as the most prolific try scorer in sevens history.

After taking a post-Olympic Games rest – during which time she got married – Brake returned to the Black Ferns Sevens fold in time for the opening HSBC SVNS Series event of 2025 in Perth. 

READ ALSO No slowing down: Newlywed Michaela Brake returns to Black Ferns Sevens fold in Perth

She hit try-scoring mode in the quarter-final against China and – having remembered where the try line is – scored another four in an emphatic semi-final win over France, and another two in the final against Australia.

Her tally is now 254, just two behind her great friend and former team-mate.

Aussie rules

Australia’s women lifted the HSBC SVNS Series trophy on a golden Australia Day evening in front of a partying Perth crowd after a scintillating final rounded off a thrilling three days of sevens rugby.

READ ALSO HSBC SVNS: Golden glory for Australia’s young guns in Perth

It was the first time that a women’s final had signed off a tournament, and a ding-dong, end-to-end showpiece lived up to expectations. 

Two-try teenager Heidi Dennis was the player of the final as injured stars Maddison Levi – who had taken her season tally to 30 earlier in the tournament – and Faith Nathan cheered from the sidelines.

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

In the end, it wasn’t to be for the men’s side, beaten for a second time in as many Perth finals by Argentina, but they too showed plenty of signs of a turnaround in fortunes after a slow start to the year. 

Uruguay on the up

How quickly we forget. Dubai, when Spain delighted sevens fans around the world with their charge to the final, finished in December. Seeing them in the knockout phase, now, however, comes as little surprise.

Uruguay joined the knockout party in Perth less than a year after returning to the main HSBC SVNS Series courtesy of a remarkable first day. They first beat Dubai champions Fiji (24-17) – who had put 70 on them in the desert in this season’s HSBC SVNS Series opener – and then New Zealand (17-12) to claim one of the eight quarter-final places.

Unlike Spain in Dubai – and Cape Town ... and Perth – Uruguay were unable to push on in day two, losing their final pool-phase match against Kenya, and then in the knockouts to … Spain.

In the end, they finished eighth – useful log points seeing them climb away from the bottom four. But they, and we, will always have Day One. The future looks bright for Los Teros sevens.

100-up for Brazil’s Costa

Brazil’s pocket rocket Thalia Costa arrived in Perth with 98 international sevens tries to her name. She left with 107.

It didn’t take her long to reach three figures, either. Her 99th came in Brazil’s opening game, their only try in a 50-7 mauling by New Zealand. Her 100th – and 101st – followed in a somewhat closer 19-12 loss to Japan. 

She added another trio of tries on the second day: a double against Ireland as Brazil bagged a quarter-final place in their final pool match, and one more against Canada in the last-eight before completing her tournament with a play-off winning hat-trick against China.

Bronze hat-trick – can France step up?

Three tournaments. Three third place finishes. Les Bleues of France are, at least, consistent. But – it goes without saying – they will want better in Vancouver, and they know it will most likely mean they have to get past one of the two stand-out squads on the HSBC SVNS Series: Australia or New Zealand.