New Zealand national rugby union team (sevens)

New Zealand Sevens

Union	New Zealand Rugby Union
Coach(es)	Gordon Tietjens
Team kit Change kit
World Cup Sevens
Appearances	4 (First in 1993)
Best result	Champions 2001

The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team is the New Zealand representative team in rugby union sevens and competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.

IRB Sevens

The team has won nine of the twelve IRB Sevens events. Since 2000 when the series first started, the only times they have not won were in 2006 when Fiji were crowned champions, 2009 won by South Africa and 2010 when they came second to Samoa.

2007

In the 2006-07 series, it was left until the last round at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, to find out who would win. If Fiji had won their quarter-final against Wales then they would have won the series but they lost 21-14. This meant that New Zealand needed to win the final against Samoa to win the title. With a convincing six tries to one, 34-5 scoreline, they did just that and were crowned champions.^[1]

2008

The 2007-08 series saw New Zealand set several records. They became the first team in the nine-year history of the IRB Sevens to have won the first four events of a season, having won the Dubai, South Africa, Wellington and USA tournaments. During the USA Sevens, they broke their own record, set in 2001 and 2002, for most consecutive match wins in the IRB Sevens. The team extended their streak of tournaments won to the first five of the season, and a record seven overall, by defeating South Africa in the final of the 2008 Hong Kong Sevens.^[2]

Their record streaks of tournaments won (7) and match wins (47) ended in the final of the Adelaide Sevens with a 15-7 defeat to South Africa.^[3] Although they would lose to England in the Cup quarterfinals of the next event, the London Sevens, they won the second-level Plate final, giving them enough points to secure the 2007-08 series crown with one round to spare.^[4]

Honours

• 1998 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
• 1999-00 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2000-01 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2001 Rugby World Cup Sevens Champions
• 2001-02 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2002-03 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2002 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
• 2003-04 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2004-05 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2006 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
• 2006-07 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series Winners
• 2010 Commonwealth Games Gold Medal
• 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series Winners

Win summaries

Event	Venue	Cup			Plate	Bowl	Shield
		Winner	Final Score	Runner-up	Winner	Winner	Winner
2011 Australia Sevens	Adelaide Oval	New Zealand	28-20	South Africa	Wales	United States	Japan
2011 Hong Kong Sevens	Hong Kong Stadium	New Zealand	29-17	England	South Africa	Canada	Kenya
2011 New Zealand Sevens	Westpac Stadium	New Zealand	29-14	England	Fiji	Kenya	United States
2010 South Africa Sevens	Outeniqua Park	New Zealand	22-19	England	South Africa	Scotland	Zimbabwe
2009 South Africa Sevens	Outeniqua Park	New Zealand	21 - 12	Fiji	England	Wales	Scotland
2009 Dubai Sevens	The Sevens	New Zealand	24 - 12	Samoa	Australia	Wales	Russia
2008 Edinburgh Sevens	Murrayfield	New Zealand	24 - 14	England	South Africa	Australia	Portugal
2008 Hong Kong Sevens	Hong Kong Stadium	New Zealand	26 - 12	South Africa	France	Russia
2008 USA Sevens	PETCO Park	New Zealand	27 - 12	South Africa	Fiji	Wales	Australia
2008 USA Sevens	PETCO Park	New Zealand	27 - 12	South Africa	Fiji	Wales	Australia
2008 Wellington Sevens	Westpac Stadium	New Zealand	22 - 7	Samoa	South Africa	England	United States
2007 South Africa Sevens	Outeniqua Park	New Zealand	34 - 7	Fiji	Kenya	Wales	Canada
2007 Dubai Sevens	Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground	New Zealand	31 - 21	Fiji	Argentina	Australia	Zimbabwe
2007 Edinburgh Sevens	Murrayfield	New Zealand	34 - 5	Samoa	Fiji	England	France
2007 London Sevens	Twickenham	New Zealand	29 - 7	Fiji	South Africa	England	Kenya
2006 South Africa Sevens	Outeniqua Park	New Zealand	24 - 17	South Africa	Wales	Australia	Portugal

There are no fixtures available for 1999-2005

Current squad

A 12 man squad for 2011-12 IRB Sevens World Series in Australia, Dubai and South africa:

Player	Club	Debut
DJ Forbes (c)	Counties Manukau	2006-present
Scott Curry	Bay of plenty	2010-present
Toby Arnold	Bay of Plenty	2009-present
James Marshall	Tasman	2011-present
Tomasi Cama	Manawatu	2005-present
Solomon King	North Harbour	2006-present
Lote Raikabula	Wellington	2006-present
Charles Piutau	Auckland	2011-present
Tim Mikkelson	Waikato	2008-present
Frank Halai	Waikato	2010-present
Glen Robertson	Waikato	2011-present
Joe Webber	Waikato	2011-present

Coaches

• Gordon Tietjens (Head Coach)
• Eric Rush (Assistant Coach)
• Martin Rogers
• Eli Aunese (Ball Boy)
• Dustian Carter (Ball Boy)

See also

• IRB Sevens World Series
• Rugby World Cup Sevens
• Commonwealth Games
• All Blacks

References

1. ^ "NZ Sevens on top of the world". Television New Zealand. Newstalk ZB. 4 June 2007. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/1165257. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
2. ^ "New Zealand maintain Series dominance in USA" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 2008-02-10. http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/edition=4/news/newsid=2022218.html#new+zealand+maintain+series+dominance+usa. Retrieved 2008-02-11. 
3. ^ "South Africa halt kiwi winning streak" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 2008-04-06. http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/edition=9/news/newsid=2022981.html#south+africa+halt+kiwi+winning+streak. Retrieved 2008-04-06. 
4. ^ "Samoa win London Sevens as NZ clinch Series" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 2008-05-25. http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/edition=8/news/newsid=2023970.html#samoa+london+sevens+nz+clinch+series. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 

External links

• All Blacks site