For all the disruption that is taking place in rugby’s abridged format, the 2025 Dubai Sevens provided a throwback to the good old days as New Zealand claimed the title on Saturday night.
The winds of change are whistling through sevens with gathering pace, and this tournament was the first of World Rugby’s latest vision for the circuit.
Not everyone is enamoured with a brave new world in which tournaments are limited to just eight teams in the men’s and women’s series. Back when New Zealand were the dominant force in the format, there were double that.
No matter what the future is going to look like, one of the sport’s most established nations found itself back on top of the podium, as New Zealand beat Australia 26-22.
It was a reminder of a long time past. After the world sevens series first began in Dubai in 1999, New Zealand won the first four titles, and six of the first 11. And yet the desert has proved fallow territory for the time since.
Their title success in 2018 was their sole success in 16 years – before this weekend.
They were good value for it, as they beat their closest rivals in the final. Australia went ahead at the start, as Maurice Longbottom pounced to score the opener.
Crucially, though, Australia’s influential half-back was immediately forced off through injury after aggravating a leg injury as he crossed to score.
New Zealand were emboldened, and they were 12-5 up at half-time via tries from Dylan Collier, and Akuila Rokolisoa.
When Sione Molia added a third shortly after the break, it appeared New Zealand had a comfortable cushion, but Australia slashed the arrears as William Cartwright and Harry Wilson touched down a quick-fire double.
Australia have never won the men’s title in Dubai, and they could sense a first Emirates International trophy. Hope was snatched from them when Jayden Keelan broke away to settled it, though.
Even before the changes in the competition structure, the face of rugby sevens had been changing. Argentina have been the World Series champions for two seasons running, while Spain were runners up in Dubai a year ago, on their way to third place in the series.
Each of those two sides fell short of those standards in the first leg of the new season. At least Argentina managed to avoid finishing last: they forced that indignity on Great Britain instead, after they won the seventh-place play-off.
Spain were only one place better, as they were consigned to sixth as they lost to South Africa in their rankings play-off.
The men’s and women’s finals were matching versions of the antipodean rivalry. The women went first in the penultimate match of the tournament, in front of packed stands on Pitch 1.
Australia were defending a proud recent record in Dubai. They have been labelled the Queens of the Desert for a reason: they were going for their sixth Dubai title in a row this weekend.
They were faultless leading into the final, and had beaten their opposition a number of times in practice during the pre-season leading into the start of the series.
And yet they were blown away by a New Zealand side who were inspired by Jorja Miller, who was named World Rugby’s women’s sevens player of the year earlier this month.
Miller scored two tries as the defending women’s World Series champions powered to a 29-14 win over their perennial rivals.
Stacey Waaka, Kelsey Teneti, Risi Pouri-Lane also crossed for New Zealand, and Heidi Dennis touched down a couple in consolation for the outgoing champions.
Japan took bronze in the women’s tournament as they beat Fiji in the third-place play-off. If that was a pointer to changing times, so too was the fact that Great Britain finished last, and by a distance, of the eight teams.
