Australia beat New Zealand 28-24 in Dubai Sevens women’s final

The Australian women defeated New Zealand in the Dubai Sevens final on Sunday, getting their season off to the perfect start with a 28-24 win.

Top rugby betting sites had Australia ($2.10) and New Zealand ($2.25) neck-and-neck in outright betting heading into the opening tournament of the 2024-2025 SVNS Series, and the final reflected those odds.

It was not until the dying minutes that Australia edged in front, coming from 24-21 down to seize the lead through world player of the year Maddison Levi.

“It’s pretty incredible, I’m lost for words with how I feel right now and am on the verge of tears,” Australian captain Isabella Nasser said.

“I’m just so happy and proud of the girls for how they showed up tonight and for the rest of the tournament.

“We have a tight-knit group, and the young players showed up.

“The Black Ferns are always a hard team to play and it’s such a good rivalry.”

Earlier this year, the Australian women had unceremoniously crashed out of the Paris Olympics after rugby bookmakers expected them to rival New Zealand for the gold medal.

Former captain Charlotte Caslick credits the Dubai conditions and the strength of Australia’s sevens program for the improved showing in the season opener.

“We just love the vibe of playing here and the weather, it’s a dry field and it suits the way we play,” she said.

“Every year we roll out more and more young girls and it shows the depth of our program.

“I think that’s why we do so well each year because our program is so strong.”

Over in the men’s tournament, Fiji snapped a 22-tournament title drought with a 19-5 victory over Spain in the final.

Sitting on the fourth line of betting at $6.50 with Bet365 pre-tournament, Fiji topped Pool C and then saw off France and Argentina to make the final.

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