"The job is not done." — Australia co-captain Bella Nasser, after winning the Valladolid leg.
World Championship Victory in Bordeaux
The Australian women's rugby sevens team clinched the World Championship title in Bordeaux, France, defeating New Zealand 26-19 in a thrilling final.
Maddison Levi, returning from a knee injury sustained during the Valladolid leg, scored two tries in the final and was named player of the match. Heidi Dennis and Faith Nathan also crossed the line for Australia. In the second half, Levi made a crucial try-saving tackle, chasing down New Zealand's Katelyn Vaha'akolo.
Australia reached the final by defeating the USA 21-7 in the semifinals, with Teagan Levi and co-captain Bella Nasser making notable contributions. Coach Tim Walsh praised the team's depth, stating that multiple players were able to impact the game.
Valladolid World Championship Leg
Australia won the second leg of the World Championship in Valladolid, Spain, defeating the USA 27-14 in the final. This victory moved Australia to the top of the World Championship standings with a two-point lead over New Zealand.
In the semifinals, Australia came back from 14-0 down to defeat New Zealand 28-26. New Zealand had won the first leg in Hong Kong, defeating Australia 19-14.
Injuries in Valladolid
Australia played without Maddison Levi (knee) and Tia Hinds (calf) during the Valladolid tournament. Levi was injured in a pool-stage loss to the USA (14-10). Hinds was injured while converting a try in the semifinal.
Men's Valladolid Victory
The Australian men's team also won the Valladolid leg, defeating South Africa 26-19 in the final. This win moved Australia to third in the men's standings, eight points behind top-ranked South Africa.
Australia's campaign included pool-stage wins over Kenya (15-10), Great Britain (26-21), and South Africa (24-14), followed by knockout wins over Kenya (21-0) and Fiji (21-14).
Post-Tournament Statements
"Obviously, the job is not done. We've got next week in Bordeaux to do, so we'll recover hard, train hard and hopefully put on a good performance next week."
— Australia co-captain Bella Nasser
"It's part of the plan to win when it matters towards the end there. But we've still got one more to go, so we've put ourselves in a position [to win the World Championship]. Overall with the squad, I'm just really proud of the resilience that they showed, but also the belief."
— Coach Tim Walsh
"If we [stick] to what we're good at … we're a really hard team to stop and we did that for the last two games of this tournament."
— Australia captain Henry Hutchison
Perth Sevens Tournament
Women's Tournament Performance
The Australian women's team defeated the USA 26-5 in their semi-final match at the Perth Sevens. They then competed against New Zealand in the final, where New Zealand secured a 29-7 victory. This result marked New Zealand's third tournament win against Australia in four events that season. Heidi Dennis scored an early try for Australia in the final. Maddison Levi contributed two tries in the semi-final.
Men's Tournament Performance
In the semi-finals, the Australian men's team was defeated by South Africa with a score of 28-12. Australia subsequently played New Zealand in the bronze medal match, winning 12-10 in dramatic fashion. The match included an incident involving Australia captain Henry Hutchison and a late yellow card issued to New Zealand's Kitiona Vai. With 10 seconds remaining, Josh Turner scored a try, and Ben Dowling converted after the siren to secure the win.
Overall Perth Tournament Results
South Africa won the men's final, defeating Fiji 21-19. Following four events, Fiji held the top position in the men's rankings, with South Africa in second and New Zealand third. Australia was ranked fifth in the men's standings.
Perth Group Stage Details
The Australian men's player Will Cartwright sustained a dislocated shoulder in the initial minutes of the team's 21-14 win over New Zealand at the Perth event. He received pain relief and was not expected to participate further in the tournament.
Both Australian men's and women's teams advanced to the semifinals after remaining undefeated on Saturday.
- The Australian women's team achieved victories against Great Britain (54-5), France (26-12), and Canada (38-10).
- The Australian men's team ended a nine-match losing streak against New Zealand. They also defeated France 29-14 and Great Britain 24-21, setting up a semifinal match against South Africa.
The Australian team managed the 35-degree Celsius conditions. Josh Turner commented on the team's fitness and ability to maintain tempo in extended matches.
In a close match, the men's team secured a win against Great Britain after Hadley Tonga scored a try following the final siren. Australia had led 19-0 before Great Britain scored three consecutive tries to take a 21-19 lead. This result allowed New Zealand to progress to the semifinals at Great Britain's expense.
The Australian women's team's victory over Great Britain included a hat-trick by Heidi Dennis. This performance followed their 36-7 defeat to New Zealand in the Singapore Sevens final. Maddison Levi scored one try against Great Britain, two against France, and two against Canada during the group stage.