NZ celebrate with stirring victory haka
New Zealand crowned winning the men’s event of the Sydney Sevens with the team’s stirring victory haka at Spotless Stadium on Sunday.
After a disappointing semifinal exit to the United States on home turf at the Hamilton Sevens the previous weekend, Clark Laidlaw’s side completed a clean sweep for New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams in the respective tournaments on Australia’s leg of the World Sevens Series.
New Zealand beat the United States 21-5 in the Sydney final for their second series title, while the women outclassed Australia 34-10 in their final.
The Kiwi men beat France and the high-flying Fijians to advance to the decider across the ditch and tries to Regan Ware, Sam Dickson and Tone Ng Shiu clinched victory against USA, who have finished as runners-up in all four legs of the 2018/19 series.
Every time New Zealand win a sevens event, the team marks the occasion with a haka after being presented the trophy.
Winning in Sydney propels the Kiwis to top of the series standings with six legs to go, level with USA (76 points), who defend their Las Vegas title when hosting the next event in March. Six New Zealand referees will officiate Super Rugby matches this season. Glen Jackson, Nick Briant, Mike Fraser, Ben O’Keeffe, Brendon Pickerill and Paul Williams have been listed in the 15-man referee team named by Sanzaar yesterday. But former Chiefs and Crusaders halfback Jamie Nutbrown, who rounded out his professional playing career with Welsh club Ospreys in 2013 before returning to New Zealand to give back to the game by taking up the whistle, has not been included in the group of refs which has been reduced by two members from 2018. South Africa’s Jaco Peyper (95) and Jackson (77) are the most experienced men listed. Two rookies have been included: Australia’s Damon Murphy and South Africa’s AJ Jacobs.