Holmes explains Black Ferns Sevens switch with LA28 Olympics firmly in her sights

Renee Holmes has turned her back on 15-a-side rugby for the foreseeable future, committing to the Black Ferns Sevens programme with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as her primary goal.

The 26-year-old made the switch after one of the most productive seasons of her XVs career. Holmes finished the 2026 Super Rugby Aupiki campaign as the competition’s all-time leading points scorer, helping Hurricanes Poua to their best-ever season. She then contributed 39 points and two assists as New Zealand claimed their fourth Pacific Four Series title — a run that included players from the Rugby World Cup 2021-winning squad.

Despite that form, Holmes says the move to Sevens was driven by a hunger to be challenged in a new environment. Her first taste came in January, when she travelled to Fiji to represent a New Zealand Women’s Sevens Development side at the Coral Coast 7s.

“It’s been awesome, it’s definitely been humbling which is great — that’s exactly why I went over, to keep growing,” Holmes told stuff.co.nz. “Every day I’m learning and that’s just growth I haven’t had in a while.”

Holmes was candid about the competitive dynamics that influenced her decision. “There wasn’t too much competition coming through in the 15s space for a bit, so to be in an environment where it’s not normal or natural for me, it’s been really challenging, but in a good way.”

The immediate target is securing a top-four finish at the HSBC SVNS World Championship, which would earn New Zealand a berth in Southern California for LA28. Holmes’s season begins with the opening round of the SVNS Series in Dubai at the end of November.

While she has not closed the door on a return to the XVs game long-term, Holmes’s focus for now is squarely on establishing herself in the Sevens format — a discipline that demands a different athletic profile and tactical vocabulary from the one she has spent six years mastering.