New Zealand 7s W thrashed France 7s W 38-7 in Pool A at HSBC SVNS Bordeaux 2026, with Jorja Miller scoring twice to match the NZ season try record.
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Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The Black Ferns Sevens needed less than 10 minutes to put the result beyond doubt. Mahina Paul burst through the French defensive line and offloaded for Tenika Vahakolo to open the scoring inside the first two minutes.
From the restart, a French handling error — a miscommunication between Lina Coudert and Aurélie Bailon — handed New Zealand possession back. Georgia Miller (Jorja Miller's older sister) stepped, drew two defenders and offloaded to Theresa Pollei-Lane, who stretched the lead to 10-0.
Mahina Paul added her name to the scoresheet from close range after Felix Hotham held up the pass and Paul steamed around the corner. Conversion made it 17-0.
Manaia Nuku grabbed the fourth after a loose ball bounced New Zealand's way, and Jorja Miller then produced the moment of the match: inside her own 22, she beat Chloe Jacquet on the outside, carved 80 metres down the left touchline and skipped under the posts. Miller added a sixth from an offload by Kelly Brazier, whose no-look pass — called over her back shoulder — put Miller through untouched. New Zealand led 38-0.
France spent almost the entire first half trapped in their own half. The only blemish for Les Bleues was a Marie-Aurelie Castel consolation try — a 95-metre solo effort after she came off the bench, chased down Justine McGregor and raced the length of the field to score under the posts. The conversion cut the gap to 38-7, but New Zealand's defence locked France out for the remainder.
The turning point
The opening 10 minutes. New Zealand scored six tries while France barely crossed halfway. The SVNS match report noted the Black Ferns "kept Les Bleues firmly trapped in their own half" until Castel's late breakout. France's handling errors compounded the pressure: a missed connection at the scrum and a loose pass both gifted New Zealand possession in dangerous areas.
Key performers
Jorja Miller — Two tries, including an 80-metre solo special, taking her season tally to 53 — level with Michaela Brake's New Zealand single-season record. The reigning World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year nominee was at her elusive best.
Mahina Paul — One try and the assist for Vahakolo's opener. The SVNS commentary called her "perhaps no player for New Zealand [who] has made bigger strides this season."
Tenika Vahakolo — Scored the opening try and was a constant threat in the wide channels before being substituted.
Marie-Aurelie Castel (France) — The only French player to breach the Black Ferns defence, scoring a 95-metre consolation try that at least gave the Bordeaux crowd something to cheer.
By the numbers — interpreted
New Zealand's six tries in the opening half tell the story, but the deeper stat is territory. France barely entered the New Zealand 22 until Castel's run late in the half. The Black Ferns forced multiple handling errors under pressure — the transcript notes France "just cannot get a thing right" in possession. The 38-7 scoreline flattered France only slightly; New Zealand could have added more had they not taken their foot off the gas in the second half.
What it means
New Zealand topped Pool A and advanced to the quarter-finals against Japan, keeping their World Championship title hopes alive. Australia sat two points ahead in the overall standings heading into the knockout rounds, meaning a potential winner-takes-all final if both progressed. France also qualified for the quarter-finals from Pool A despite the heavy loss, but needed to regroup quickly against a physical USA side in the last eight.
The result extended New Zealand's unbeaten run in the fixture to 11 matches. France had not beaten the Black Ferns since 2022.
Verdict
A statement performance from New Zealand, who answered questions about their response to last week's semi-final loss to Australia with an emphatic 10-minute blitz. France, by contrast, face a familiar ceiling against the sport's elite — competitive but unable to match New Zealand's intensity for a full 14 minutes. Both teams advanced, but only one left Bordeaux looking like champions.
Rivalry since 2016
New Zealand 7s W vs France 7s W Head to Head Results· 37
New Zealand 7s W and France 7s W have met 37 times — New Zealand 7s W won 34, France 7s W won 3, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2016. New Zealand 7s W leads the head-to-head with 34 victories from 37 meetings. A combined 1378 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 37.24 per match (996 for the home side, 382 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 32 matches (86%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 37 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. New Zealand 7s W are currently unbeaten in the last 10 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 38–17 in 2026.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jun 2026