HONG KONG, Apr 3 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand proved their dominance at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens here yesterday, winning both men’s and women’s finals at the Hong Kong Stadium.
It marked the first time that the Hong Kong Sevens has been played twice on the same series calendar, with 28 teams competing at the Hong Kong Stadium, including 12 sides in women’s sevens.
New Zealand men’s team finished first with three consecutive wins in the group stage and entered the final after eliminating Argentina and France, setting up a clash against 19-time champion Fiji.
Cody Vai opened the scoring just seconds into the game and New Zealand led the first-half 24-7. Despite Fiji scoring two tries from Joseva Talacolo after the break, New Zealand still held their nerves to win the final with 24-17, registering their first win in Hong Kong since 2014.
Elsewhere, France won the bronze medal by beating Great Britain 19-17, while Hong Kong SAR finished 13th.
In the women’s series, New Zealand cruised past Australia 26-17, winning their fifth consecutive title in the World Rugby Sevens Series.– NNN-XINHUA
