Latest news with #StaceyWaaka
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Black Ferns v USA: Sevens stars named as Black Ferns ring changes for final Pacific Four test
'This is going to be a special moment for them to play in front of their whānau and friends. Veisinia and Vici-Rose have been with us since our first training camp. They have worked hard and done the learning, while showing their commitment to the team by helping them prepare for the last two tests. It's now their time. 'Jorja and Risaleaana, who joined us last week following their successful Sevens World Series campaign, have slotted in seamlessly. They are great humans and diligent athletes. We look forward to watching them do their thing this weekend.' Last week's result has left the Pacific Four title on the line this weekend; a bonus-point win is likely to be enough for the Black Ferns to reclaim the title, as they go into the round with a points differential 14 better than that of Canada. Fellow Black Ferns Sevens players Theresa Setefano and Stacey Waaka will also get their first starts for the Black Ferns this season, named at second five-eighths and centre respectively. It's the same midfield combination that was so effective in the World Cup in 2022. Other changes in the squad see Kate Henwood start at loosehead prop and Kaipo Olsen-Baker at No 8, which sees Liana Mikaele-Tu'u move to blindside flanker. In the backline, Katelyn Vahaakolo starts on the left wing in place of Ayesha Leti-I'iga. On the bench, prop Awhina Tangen-Wainohu and lock Chelsea Bremner are also new inclusions to the match-day squad. Bremner initially missed selection for the Pacific Four squad, but gets an opportunity after a training injury saw Dhys Faleafaga ruled out for the rest of the season. Black Ferns: 1. Kate Henwood 2. Georgia Ponsonby 3. Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu 4. Alana Bremner 5. Maiakawanakaulani Roos 6. Liana Mikaele-Tu'u 7. Jorja Miller 8. Kaipo Olsen-Baker 9. Risaleaana Pouri-Lane 10. Ruahei Demant (cc) 11. Katelyn Vahaakolo 12. Theresa Setefano 13. Stacey Waaka 14. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe 15. Braxton Sorensen-McGee Bench: 16. Vici-Rose Green 17. Awhina Tangen-Wainohu 18. Tanya Kalounivale 19. Chelsea Bremner 20. Kennedy Tukuafu (cc) 21. Maia Joseph 22. Hannah King 23. Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai'i Sylvia Brunt
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Black Ferns Sevens star Jorja Miller ready to make her mark in 15s
Black Ferns Sevens star Jorja Miller. Photo: Photosport She concedes she has a lot to learn, but Jorja Miller is ready to push for a place at this year's Rugby World Cup. The Black Ferns Sevens star has made the switch to 15s ahead of the showpiece tournament, which starts in England in August, and has been picked in the Black Ferns squad for the Pacific Four Series alongside fellow New Zealand Sevens players Risi Pouri-Lane, Stacey Waaka, Theresa Setefano and Dhys Faleafaga. New Zealand's Jorja Miller (R) is consoled by Stacey Waaka during their quarter-final against Australia at the Perth leg of the sevens world series. Photo: Photosport Miller, Waaka and Pouri-Lane joined the Black Ferns this week ahead of Saturday's clash with Canada in Christchurch after missing last weekend's win over Australia in the opening Pacific Four match in Newcastle. "It's really exciting for me. I started playing 15s. So to be back in this group and playing this game is really exciting. We got to try on the black jersey yesterday for photos, which was really exciting," Miller said. "Me and Rissi (Pouri-Lame) were pretty over the moon being here for the first time. Hopefully we get a chance to put that jersey on this year." Waaka has won two World Cups with the Black Ferns 15s, while Feleafaga played two tests in 2021 and came off the bench for her third cap last Saturday in Newcastle. Miller and Pouri-Lane are uncapped at test level. They seem certain to play at some point during the Pacific Four, though it's unclear if that will be against Canada this weekend or against the United States the following week at North Harbour Stadium, the Black Ferns final match of the series. "They will get game time, it just depends on when," Black Ferns defence coach Steve Jackson said. "We've got a couple more days to get through (before team naming), so we'll see how we go." Jackson said the sevens players would be ready to play "in terms of their physicality and their strength and conditioning", but said they had plenty to learn in terms of adapting to the 15s game and the Black Ferns style of play. "They only came in on Sunday night," Jackson said. "Understanding our tech maps, defensive systems. You know, there's a lot more to go through in a 15s game than there is in a sevens game. We've got different variations in line outs, different numbers in line outs, defensive walls etc. It goes on. So there's a lot more learning to be done this week. "We really want to set them up to succeed. We don't want to set them up to go out there and not be a 100 percent confident." Miller understands there's plenty to absorb, but she's quick to make it clear she started out in 15s and has played plenty of rugby union. "A lot of learning, but it's exciting. At the end of the day, it's just rugby," Miller said. "We have been putting pen to paper (doing homework), but the girls really support us out there and just back our abilities to perform." Jorja Miller. Photo: Photosport Miller concedes moving into the forward pack in 15s will be her biggest challenge. "Coming into the forwards, it will be the physicality. I'm used to sevens, used to little bodies and heaps of space. "Now it's kind of the hit them ups, the bigger bodies, the big tackles, but I think that excites me being an openside flanker. I love that stuff. I love the dirty work around the rucks and getting over the ball. So, yeah, I'm excited for that." Miller, from Timaru, will have plenty of fans in the stands in Christchurch if she does make her Black Ferns 15s debut. "It's nice to come into camp in Christchurch and be close to my family," Miller said. "I went to school up here, so to catch up with a lot of friends, it's been cool." Saturday's clash with Canada shapes as a grudge match after the Black Ferns were beaten by the North Americans last year in Christchurch. That 22-19 defeat meant New Zealand failed to retain their Pacific Four title and also robbed the Black Ferns of their World No.2 ranking. Jackson said redemption has played a role in the build-up to this weekend's test, though it hasn't dominated it. "We don't like to lose. I know that the players will be up for it. They will have that little bit between their teeth and a little bit of redemption and there'll be that feeling of payback and those sorts of things. First and foremost they've got to concentrate on the things that we've been working on this week. If they can do those really well, hopefully we'll get the outcome that we're looking for."
CBC
23-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Canadian women thumped by New Zealand in quarterfinals at Vancouver rugby 7s tournament
The Canadian women fell behind early and saw their hopes of a podium finish vanish after a 34-12 loss to rugby powerhouse New Zealand Saturday at the HSBC SVNS Vancouver. The Black Ferns, who beat Canada in the gold-medal game at the Paris Olympics, built 24-7 halftime lead and cruised to victory. Stacey Waaka and Jorja Miller led the assault with two tries each. Asia Hogan-Rochester and Carissa Norsten scored tries for Canada. Olivia Apps kicked the convert. "We lost momentum from the start," said the 26-year-old Apps of Kawartha Lakes, Ont. "It's tough. They won more minutes than we did. It's a possession game and we just didn't take care of the ball when we had it." Canada lost back Piper Logan to an injury within the first minute. 7th-place play-off vs. U.S. The Canadians play the U.S. on Sunday afternoon. The best the tournament hosts can finish is seventh. "This team is really great at reacting to all the leanings that we have from every game we play," said Apps. "I'm really excited to see what we put together for tomorrow." The women took bronze at last year's HSBC SVNS tournament in Vancouver. Canada lost 35-14 to Australia earlier in the day. The Canadians had the hometown crowd roaring after taking a 14-0 lead with just three minutes gone but then were overpowered by Australia's speed and muscle. Florence Symonds and Alysa Corrigan scored tries for Canada. Apps converted both. "We came out with a lot of energy," said Symonds, a 22-year-old from Vancouver. "In the second half we were defending for a lot of phases. It gets tiring. We just couldn't hold them anymore." Tia Hinds led Australia with two tries and three converts. In the other women's quarterfinals, Japan rallied to defeat the U.S. 22-17 in overtime, Fiji rolled over Brazil 46-0, and Australia beat Britain 28-14. Japan will play Fiji in one semifinal Sunday while New Zealand faces Australia. In the men's quarterfinals, Spain and Argentina won their matches over New Zealand and France by identical 12-7 scores. Fiji blanked Britain 24-0 while South Africa beat Australia 17-14. Spain will battle Argentina in one semifinal while Fiji plays South Africa in the other. Canada came into the tournament fifth in the overall women's standings with 32 points. New Zealand leads with 56, two more than Australia and eight ahead of third-place France. On the men's side, Fiji, Argentina and Spain are all tied with 48 points. South Africa is fourth with 44. Canada opened the tournament Friday with a 26-19 win over Brazil, in a game where Charity Williams scored her 100th career try. The women then rolled over Spain 41-5 thanks to three tries and a conversion from Hogan-Rochester. The tournament has attracted its usual assortment of costumes and characters. A group of witches, with long flowing air, drank beer near several men dressed as nuns. There were three fist-pumping sasquatches, a swam of killer bees, and two large dancing dinosaurs. The competition features 12 men and 12 women's teams divided into three pools of four. The top two teams from each pool advance to the playoffs, along with the two best third-place teams. The Canadian women finished in Pool A behind Brazil and Australia. All three teams were 2-1 but Brazil was ranked first and Australia second because of point differential. Spain was 0-3. New Zealand (3-0) led Pool B followed by the United States (2-1), China (1-2) and Ireland (0-3). Britain and Japan were 2-1 in Pool C, followed by Fiji and France, both 1-2. On the men's side Argentina (3-0) led Pool A, followed by Britain (2-1) France (1-2) and Keyna (0-3). South Africa, New Zealand and Australia were all 2-1 in Pool B with Ireland 0-3. Fiji (3-0) topped Pool C followed by Spain (2-1), Uruguay (1-2) and the U.S. (0-3). The Canadian men are not playing on the elite rugby tour this season after being relegated last year. They are part of an invitational men's tournament and won two lopsided games Saturday, beating Trinidad and Tobago 50-0 and Japan 51-12.
