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Teneti's five-try haul earns Black Ferns Sevens bronze after Australia upset in Valladolid

New Zealand's Black Ferns Sevens recovered from a painful semifinal collapse against Australia to beat Canada 50-14 in the third-place playoff at SVNS Valladolid, with Kelsey Teneti crossing five times. The result leaves New Zealand well-placed heading into the World Championship finale in Bordeaux.

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Teneti's five-try haul earns Black Ferns Sevens bronze after Australia upset in Valladolid
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Kelsey Teneti scored five tries as the Black Ferns Sevens defeated Canada 50-14 in the third-place playoff at Estadio José Zorrilla in Valladolid, salvaging a bronze medal after a dramatic semifinal defeat to Australia ended New Zealand’s hopes of a final appearance.

New Zealand had led Australia 21-7 at half-time and still held a 12-point advantage with three minutes remaining, only for Faith Nathan and Kaitlan Shave to score in quick succession and complete a stunning Australian comeback. The result stung particularly given New Zealand had suffered a similar defeat to Australia at Madrid’s Civitas Metropolitano two years earlier.

Teneti was philosophical but direct about the response required. “I think it was built-up anger from the last game,” she said. “Unlucky [not to] be in the final but we knew we had a point to prove out there and just wanted to finish strong.”

Against Canada, New Zealand were clinical from the outset. Mahina Paul opened the scoring inside the first 30 seconds, with Stacey Waaka and Jorja Miller extending the lead before the break. Risi Pouri-Lane and Danni Mafoe also crossed in a commanding display that reflected the team’s dominance throughout the SVNS Series this season.

“It’s always a tough game against Aussie — it can go both ways no matter what,” Teneti added. “But I think sevens is just like that and, win or lose, they were the better team today, so we just had to come out strong and make sure we finish strong.”

New Zealand entered the Valladolid stop leading the World Championship standings, having won five of the six regular-season SVNS events and claimed the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for the fourth consecutive year. The only blemish on their season came in a one-sided final defeat to Australia at SVNS Cape Town last December.

The All Blacks Sevens also closed their Spanish campaign on a positive note, beating the host nation 22-12. Jayden Keelan scored twice and visibly celebrated in front of the home crowd after his second try.

Both New Zealand sides now travel to Bordeaux for the SVNS finale next weekend, where the World Championship titles for the 2025/26 season will be decided. The top eight teams in the standings will secure core status for next season’s SVNS 1 campaign, with the remaining four facing a qualification route back into the top tier.

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