Rugby Sevens: Black Ferns Sevens crowned champions in Vancouver with crushing win over France

Black Ferns Sevens have defended their Vancouver title with a one-sided 35-19 win over France in the final on Monday (NZ time).

Lead by a Portia Woodman-Wickliffe hat-trick, the NZ women ran in five tries to three to claim their first tournament win of the 2023/24 World Series.

The gold medals will hang alongside the silvers they won in Dubai and the bronzes from Cape Town, closing the gap in the overall standings behind leaders Australia to six points.

The NZ women made an early statement through Woodman-Wickliffe, who added another dot to her tally as the leading try scorer in women's sevens, latching on to a slick long pass from Risi Pouri-Lane to go 50m clear and give her side the early lead.

The French responded immediately, as Anne-Cecile Ciofani cut through the defence to square the scoreline, before Michael Blyde danced past some weak defence to restore the Ferns' seven-point advantage. 

With the first half expiring, Jorja Miller laid down a massive left-foot step to break the line and claim New Zealand's third, before Woodman-Wickliffe reeled in a Tyla King crossfield kick in acres of space to give her side an imposing 28-7 halftime lead.

France had to score first in the second stanza and Valentine Lothoz ensured exactly that, scooping a loose ball near the NZ line to run in an easy try.

Another surging Miller run created space for Woodman-Wickliffe to torch the French defence on the outside and run in her third of the match.

With three minutes remaining, Manaia Nuku was shown a yellow card for an intentional knockdown. 

But ultimately it was of no consequence, with France running in a late consolation try.

Black Ferns Sevens 35 (Woodman-Wickliffe 3, Miller, Blyde tries; King 3 cons, Pouri-Lane con) France 19 (Ciofani, Lothoz, Pelle tries; Drouin 2 cons)

Black Ferns Sevens have defended their Vancouver title with a one-sided 35-19 win over France in the final on Monday (NZ time).

Lead by a Portia Woodman-Wickliffe hat-trick, the NZ women ran in five tries to three to claim their first tournament win of the 2023/24 World Series.

The gold medals will hang alongside the silvers they won in Dubai and the bronzes from Cape Town, closing the gap in the overall standings behind leaders Australia to six points.

The NZ women made an early statement through Woodman-Wickliffe, who added another dot to her tally as the leading try scorer in women's sevens, latching on to a slick long pass from Risi Pouri-Lane to go 50m clear and give her side the early lead.

The French responded immediately, as Anne-Cecile Ciofani cut through the defence to square the scoreline, before Michael Blyde danced past some weak defence to restore the Ferns' seven-point advantage. 

With the first half expiring, Jorja Miller laid down a massive left-foot step to break the line and claim New Zealand's third, before Woodman-Wickliffe reeled in a Tyla King crossfield kick in acres of space to give her side an imposing 28-7 halftime lead.

France had to score first in the second stanza and Valentine Lothoz ensured exactly that, scooping a loose ball near the NZ line to run in an easy try.

Another surging Miller run created space for Woodman-Wickliffe to torch the French defence on the outside and run in her third of the match.

With three minutes remaining, Manaia Nuku was shown a yellow card for an intentional knockdown. 

But ultimately it was of no consequence, with France running in a late consolation try.

Black Ferns Sevens 35 (Woodman-Wickliffe 3, Miller, Blyde tries; King 3 cons, Pouri-Lane con) France 19 (Ciofani, Lothoz, Pelle tries; Drouin 2 cons)

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