Australia Humbled by New Zealand in โDubai Rugby Sevens Finals
New Zealand’sโค rugby sevens teams โclaimed โคvictory overโ Australia in both the men’s and women’s finals at the opening event of the world series in Dubai. The results mark a setback for the Australian teams, particularly the โwomen whoโข had previously enjoyed a dominant โrun in the tournament.
The Australian women’s team suffered a 29-14 defeat, ending their five-tournament winning streak in Dubai against the โreigning world โseries โchampions. New Zealand’s Jorja Miller was named player of โthe final after scoring two tries,โฃ overshadowing Australian star โฃMaddison Levi, who hadโ accumulated seven tries โคthroughout the weekend prior to the final match.โข New Zealand builtโข a commanding 17-0โ lead โby halftime, with further tries coming from Stacey Waaka, Kelsey Teneti, and Risi Pouri-Lane. Heidi Dennis managed two second-half triesโค for Australia, but they proved insufficient to close the gap.
the australian men’s team also fell short, losing a closely contested final 26-22. They had earlier secured their place in the final with โขa 14-0 shutout victory over France in the semi-finals.Maurice Longbottom opened the scoring for Australia, โbut an injury sustained while scoringโ forcedโข him to leave the field, shifting momentum โto New Zealand. Theโค Kiwis took a 12-5 lead into halftime thanks to tries from โDylan collier and Akuila Rokolisoa. Despite a strong second-half effort and late tries, the โฃAustralian men were unable to overcome the โคdeficit, ultimately losing by four points.
AAP
