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RNZ News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Former Blues and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bryce Heem retires
Blues players Harry Plummer and Bryce Heem (R) meet supporters after victory in the Super Rugby Pacific Final. 2024. Photo: Photosport / David Rowland Former Blues, All Blacks Sevens and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bryce Heem has announced his retirement from rugby. He was part of the Blues title winning side in 2024 and re-signed with the team for this year, but last November he was ruled out of the entire 2025 Super Rugby season with a wrist injury. Bryce Heem (R) with his Blues teammates. Photo: Photosport / Andrew Cornaga He has now called time on his career. The 36-year-old played 42 games for the Blues in a first-class career that began in 2010 and started with the Auckland NPC side and then the All Blacks Sevens the following year. A wing or centre Heem also played for the Chiefs, Worcester Warriors, and Toulon. He played the majority of his NPC rugby for his home province of Auckland with other stints at Northland and Tasman. He won a Commonwealth Games silver medal with the New Zealand men's Sevens team at the 2014 Glasgow Games. He scored nine tries in his four seasons with the Blues. "It's been an incredible ride," Heem said. "When I look back on my career, it's the people I've met and the memories I've made that stand out the most. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special." "I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey. She's been my rock, holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love. Without her, none of this would have been possible." Bryce Heem playing for Auckland. Photo: Photosport / Andrew Cornaga Heem, known as 'Uncle' by his Blues teammates, is changing careers and becoming a mortgage broker. "I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches, staff, and everyone who's played some part in my career," Heem said. "You've all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life. I've learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me." "A special shout-out to the medical staff, you've worked wonders on my body as I've gotten older, and I'm sure you'll be relieved I won't be calling on your services quite as often in the future." Heem said not playing would take some getting used to. "It's definitely a bit weird watching the Blues run out onto Eden Park this season. I've spent so many years playing with these guys, and formed such deep connections with many of them. But that's life, time moves on and to be honest I don't miss the running sessions one bit."
Otago Daily Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Black Ferns Sevens win World Series title
Jorja Miller scored one of the Black Ferns Sevens tries as the won the World Sevens Series championship in Los Angeles. The Black Ferns Sevens have been crowned World Series champions after crushing Australia 31-7 in the final of the winner-takes-all season ending tournament in Los Angeles. New Zealand, who led 12-0 at halftime, have now won four straight matches against Australia since the final of the Perth event. Jorja Miller, Michaela Brake, Risi Pouri-Lane, Mahina Paul and Sarah Hirini were the try-scorers for the champions. The Black Ferns Sevens had already wrapped up the overall league title after winning four of the six previous rounds, including the most recent in Singapore. New Zealand won the Cape Town, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore rounds. The top eight men's and women's teams in the standings after the Singapore event then qualified for the Los Angeles season finale. Olympic champions New Zealand beat hosts the United States 34-7 in the semifinals. Michaela Brake scored a hat-trick of tries for the Black Ferns Sevens against the US with Jorja Miller, Jazmin Felix-Hotham and Sarah Hirini the other players to dot down. The Black Ferns Sevens had already wrapped up the overall league title after winning four of the six previous World Series events, including the last three in a row before Los Angeles. New Zealand won the Cape Town, Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore rounds. The All Blacks Sevens were beaten 31-5 by South Africa in the men's semifinals and eventually finished third after overcoming Argentina 38-17 in the bronze medal playoff. It's the New Zealand men's first podium finish this World Series season. South Africa will play Spain in the men's final.
RNZ News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens make world championships semifinals in LA
Brady Rush stars for All Blacks Sevens (file photo). Photo: Photosport/Iain McGregor Both New Zealand teams have qualified for the semifinals of the sevens world championships in Los Angeles, but their paths to get there were dramatically contrasting. It was a straight-forward procession for the Black Ferns Sevens, who crushed Canada 41-5 in the last of their three pool matches to make it a 16-game winning streak in world series matches this season since the Vancouver leg in February. They beat Great Britain 41-21 and then Japan 50-7, before the victory over Canada. But the All Blacks Sevens did it the hard way, keeping their championship hopes alive with a heart-stopping win 21-19 over Australia, after earlier beating Fiji 17-12 and losing to Spain 7-5. The Australians claimed what would have been a match-winning try after the full-time siren, but replays couldn't show a clear grounding of the ball by Henry Hutchinson, leaving the New Zealanders, who came into the tournament seventh in the world series standings, jubilant. Brady Rush was instrumental in the men's win, sprinting away for the try that put the New Zealanders ahead 21-19 after a splendid offload from Ngarohi McGarvey-Black, with just under three minutes left. McGarvey-Black nearly spoilt things with a knock-on, leading to an intense Australian surge but the New Zealanders held on under huge pressure, despite giving away a few penalties. In the last play of the game, Hutchinson claimed a try as he charged over with Rush and younger brother Rob two of the players trying to get under him, but the TMO ruled there was no evidence of the ball being grounded. Because of points differential, the All Blacks Sevens had needed to win by at least two points to finish ahead of Australia in the pool. Now they have a chance of being world champions at this winner-take-all tournament, despite a mediocre season up until now. Worse was to come for the Australians, who went into the match top of the pool but finished the cut-throat match out of the semifinals, as Spain's late try against Fiji was enough to give them one of the four berths. Spain, now a huge force in world sevens, needed to win by eight points or more to knock Australia out, and they beat Fiji 24-12 to claim top qualifying position from the pool. In the women's division, the Black Ferns Sevens made the early play against Canada, with Michaela Brake and Jorja Miller scoring tries inside the first four minutes, before Carissa Norestan scored for Canada. But that was it for Canada, as the New Zealanders ran in five more tries. Jazmin-Felix Hotham brought up 50 tries in world series matches with her first try against Canada, following up with her 51st just two minutes later, while Justine McGregor scored her first in just her second tournament on the tour. The Black Ferns Sevens will play USA in their semifinal at 8.02am on Monday, while Canada play Australia in the other semi. The All Blacks Sevens will play South Africa at 8.46am, with Spain and Argentina squaring off for a finals berth in the other match. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
01-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Sevens series shake-up aimed at global reach ahead of LA Olympics
World Rugby shakes up sevens structure The Black Ferns Sevens will play in a revamped world series next year. Photo: photosport World Rugby will introduce a new sevens structure in 2026 which will have a three-division regular season and an increased number of events in a bid to make it cost-effective and more competitive. The updated model will expand the calendar from 10 to 13 tournaments starting next year, with the primary aim of the overhaul being to boost rugby sevens' global reach ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics. The season will conclude with three high-profile World Championship Series events, each featuring 12 men's and women's teams, to crown the annual world champions. Rugby sevens was played at the Olympics for the first time at the 2016 Rio Games, with both men's and women's contests. The eight teams competing in this weekend's world championships in Los Angeles will form the division one teams for the 2026 series. Heading into the LA leg, the Black Ferns Sevens top the women's rankings, while the All Blacks Sevens are seventh of the 12 men's teams. The teams that finish with final rankings of ninth to 12th from the LA playoff tournament will qualify for the second division next year, while the 13th to 16th finishers will have to compete in regional qualifier competitions for places in an eight-team third division. World Rugby Sevens general manager Sam Pinder said 10 million pounds (NZ$22 million) would be invested annually to grow the game, with a large proportion allocated to team participation fees. "While change can be difficult, this is an evolution that ultimately secures the sustainable advancement of a sport that has proven to be a hit at the Olympic Games, showcasing some of the most gifted athletes on the planet," he said. The venues for next year's series will be subject to a host tender process. - Reuters
