Australia ends 41-match New Zealand winning streak, recap, highlights

The Australian women’s rugby sevens team have provided the sport a rare golden moment in an otherwise gloomy year with an “amazing” victory in the Dubai tournament in a positive sign ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Maddison Levi and her sister Teagan inspired the Aussies to a blistering triumph in the season-opening event, ending New Zealand’s world-record 41-match unbeaten streak to lift the trophy.

Having swapped codes, Maddison, who also played for the Gold Coast Suns in the AFLW, ended the tournament with a world series record of 12 tries in a single event as the Aussies took down the Kiwis 26-19 in the final.

Her younger sister Teagan scored two key tries and 14 points in the final as Australia became the first team to win the same world series women’s event four times in a row in the UAE desert.

“It’s amazing,” Australian captain Charlotte Caslick said after the triumph. .

“Teagan, she’s unbelievable, had an amazing pre-season, we’re all getting to see the hard work she’s done. We’ve all worked so hard for this.”

It’s been a dark year for Australian rugby in the wake of the earliest ever World Cup exit in France and coach Eddie Jones’ ultimate resignation before Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan was forced to step down.

But ahead of the Paris Olympics, the effort of the Aussies, gold medallists in Rio, to end the dominant run of the Kiwis, who started their winning streak after being beaten by

Australia in the 2022 Dubai final, has provided some golden hope.

The final also turned into a showcase of the future as 20-year-olds Levi and Bienne Terita shone for the Aussies.

But Australia’s men’s team had a lot to work on after they got knocked out in the quarter-finals by South Africa, coach John Manenti admitted. They will soon get the services of former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, who will join the team for its Olympic push.