{"id":319992,"date":"2025-12-01T05:57:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:57:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/319992\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T05:57:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:57:15","slug":"nz-stars-shine-fiji-and-japan-make-noise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/319992\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ stars shine, Fiji and Japan make noise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RugbyPass SVNS Series writers will review each tournament this season with their MVP votes. Finn Morton, Ben Smith<\/a>, Joe Harvey and Lachlan Grey weigh in with 3-2-1 votes towards the RugbyPass Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s SVNS Series MVP leaderboard.<\/p>\n

It only took Jorja Miller<\/a> 15 seconds to make a point-scoring impact on the HSBC SVNS Series in 2025\/26. Miller won a pilfer penalty, before some quick-thinking saw the Black Ferns Sevens vice-captain cross for the first try of the campaign.<\/p>\n

Miller scored a double in New Zealand\u2019s clinical 24-21 win over France<\/a> in Pool A, stealing the show with a phenomenal performance. The reigning SVNS Series Player of the Year was a standout from start to finish, maintaining that form until the final whistle on day two.<\/p>\n

Stacey Waaka, Kelsey Teneti<\/a> and Risi Pouri-Lane<\/a> made their mark with a try each in New Zealand\u2019s 29-14 triumph over Australia, but Miller was a shining light yet again. The 21-year-old received Player of the Final honours, adding another two tries to her Dubai Sevens tally.<\/p>\n

Four SVNS writers at RugbyPass agreed that Miller was best on ground throughout the event. In a 3-2-1 voting system, all four gave the New Zealander maximum points, while Australia\u2019s Maddison and Teagan Levi also polled well.<\/p>\n

Try-scoring phenomenon Maddison Levi scored five tries on day one, including a powerful score against Japan<\/a> in pool play \u2013 throwing a defender to the side en route to the try line. Levi crossed for another try in the semi-finals, but almost uncharacteristically didn\u2019t score in the decider.<\/p>\n

Levi set a new record last season with 15 tries at the Dubai Sevens. This season, younger sister Teagan was especially impactful as a playmaking threat, recording three tries on the opening day and multiple try assists throughout the event.<\/p>\n

Australia<\/a> Sevens Women\u2019s coach Tim Walsh revealed in a broadcast interview, which you can watch on RugbyPass TV, that Teagan is looking to become a 14-minute player. The 22-year-old is already a world-class playmaker, so this could come as a warning to opposing teams.<\/p>\n

Miller clocked in with a maximum 12 votes, while Maddison Levi ranks in second place with five. New Zealand\u2019s Mahina Paul is equal third with two votes after two impressive performances on day two, including a double in the 31-5 semi-final win against Japan.<\/p>\n

Teagan Levi shares third spot, while Teneti is a spot back in equal fifth. Teneti spoke on the SVNS Series broadcast about her new role in the Black Ferns Sevens this season, stepping up as a game-driver in the absence of some experienced SVNS veterans.<\/p>\n

Hanako Utsumi earned one vote after starring in Japan\u2019s run to a third-place finish, while Reapi Ulunisau<\/a> is perhaps unlucky to not have received more than one vote. Ulunisau scored a hat-trick on day one, and beat Miller with fast-feet to score during a clash with New Zealand<\/a> on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s draw was a bit more contentious, but there was still a clear MVP from Dubai, with Akuila Rokolisoa starring as the All Blacks<\/a> Sevens claimed their first title since the 2023\/24 season. Rokolisoa received eight votes, two more than teammate Brady Rush<\/a> in second.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s Dietrich Roache returned to the SVNS Series after missing the entire 2024\/25 season with a knee injury. Roache scored tries against Spain, New Zealand and Great Britain, and recorded multiple try assists as well.<\/p>\n

Wallace Charlie debuted for Australia at the World Championship in Los Angeles earlier this year, and the 2024 Global Youth Sevens MVP is already making a difference \u2013 with two writers giving the young talent votes, finishing with three overall.<\/p>\n

Henry Hutchison and Maurice Longbottom also impressed from Australia, but didn\u2019t record any votes from this particular tournament.<\/p>\n

Viwa Naduvalo and Pilipo Bukayaro from Fiji<\/a> clocked in with two votes and one point respectively. Naduvalo was especially impressive on day two, scoring a hat-trick in a semi-final defeat to New Zealand, and adding more tries to his tally in the bronze playoff.<\/p>\n

Next up, Cape Town on December 6-7.<\/p>\n

RugbyPass SVNS Series MVP 3-2-1 votes \u2013 Dubai<\/p>\n

Finn Morton<\/p>\n

Men: Akuila Rokilosa (New Zealand), Dietrich Roache (Australia), Viwa Naduvalo (Fiji)<\/p>\n

Women: Jorja Miller (New Zealand), Teagan Levi (Australia), Kelsey Teneti (New Zealand)<\/p>\n

Joe Harvey<\/p>\n

Men: Brady Rush (New Zealand), Dietrich Roache (Australia), Pilipo Bukayaro (Fiji)<\/p>\n

Women: Jorja Miller (New Zealand), Maddison Levi (Australia), Hanako Utsumi (Japan)<\/p>\n

Ben Smith<\/p>\n

Men: Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand), Wallace Charlie (Australia), Viwa Naduvalo (Fiji)<\/p>\n

Women: Jorja Miller (New Zealand), Mahina Maul (New Zealand), Maddison Levi (Australia)<\/p>\n

Lachlan Grey<\/p>\n

Men: Brady Rush (New Zealand), Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand), Wallace Charlie (Australia)<\/p>\n

Women: Jorja Miller (New Zealand), Maddison Levi (Australia), Reapi Ulunisau (Fiji)<\/p>\n

RugbyPass Men\u2019s SVNS Series MVP leaderboard<\/p>\n

Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand) \u2013 8 votes<\/p>\n

Brady Rush (New Zealand) \u2013 6 votes<\/p>\n

Dietrich Roache (Australia) \u2013 4 votes<\/p>\n

Wallace Charlie (Australia) \u2013 3 votes<\/p>\n

Viwa Naduvalo (Fiji) \u2013 2 votes<\/p>\n

Pilipo Bukayaro (Fiji) \u2013 1 vote<\/p>\n

RugbyPass Women\u2019s SVNS Series MVP leaderboard<\/p>\n

Jorja Miller (New Zealand) \u2013 12 votes<\/p>\n

Maddison Levi (Australia) \u2013 5 votes<\/p>\n

Teagan Levi (Australia), Mahina Paul (New Zealand) \u2013 2 votes<\/p>\n

Kelsey Teneti (New Zealand),\u00a0Hanako Utsumi (Japan), Reapi Ulunisau (Fiji) \u2013 1 vote<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RugbyPass SVNS Series writers will review each tournament this season with their MVP votes. Finn Morton, Ben Smith,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":319993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-319992","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}