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Stacey Fluhler scored a hat-trick in the Black Ferns sevens’ opening win of the Hamilton Sevens.
The Black Ferns sevens had no trouble beating Papua New Guinea in Saturday’s Hamilton Sevens opener.
Star winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe wasn’t playing their first match, but they were always going to have too much firepower and won 58-0 with 10 tries at FMG Stadium Waikato.
She was sat in the stands watching as their reserve player, as Stacey Fluhler scored a hat-trick, Michaela Blyde and captain Sarah Hirini crossed for doubles, with further tries for Shiray Kaka, Alena Saili and Jorja Miller.
Woodman-Wickliffe wasn’t injured and is expected to play in their remaining fixtures in pool A on Saturday against Fiji and Great Britain.
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* Stacey Fluhler scores hat-trick as Black Ferns sevens rout Papua New Guinea in Hamilton opener
* Bittersweet week as New Zealand welcomes back sevens before waving goodbye in Hamilton
* Four world champion Black Ferns named for Hamilton Sevens, Stacey Fluhler recovers from ankle injury
This weekend’s tournament will be the last World Series event in New Zealand for the foreseeable future and the Black Ferns sevens will savour every second they can play before a home crowd.
Dave Rowland/Getty Images
Jorja Miller touching down for their 10th try against Papua New Guinea.
World Rugby is downsizing the series from next season and New Zealand has lost hosting rights, only three years after a women’s tournament was introduced to the series calendar in Hamilton.
First, there was first an exhibition tournament added to the 2019 Hamilton Sevens when the Black Ferns sevens played at home for the first time.
Those two tournaments were significant milestones for women’s rugby before Covid-19 crossed out the New Zealand events in 2021 and 2022.
The Black Ferns sevens, the reigning Olympic champions, will be eager to finish the Hamilton party with a flourish.
Fiji beat Great Britain 19-14 in pool A’s other opening match.
Hamilton Sevens, Black Ferns sevens on day one
Saturday’s pool matches: Beat Papua New Guinea 58-0, Fiji at 3:12pm, Great Britain at 8:03pm.
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