Michaela Blyde: Dubai loss sparked 'honest conversations' for Black Ferns Sevens

Black Ferns Sevens winger Michaela Blyde has a conspicuous cut beneath her left eye. If uncovered it bleeds profusely like an errant shaving nick. The injury was sustained while training before the Dubai Sevens last week. Blyde accidentally “kissed” the boot of Jorja Miller.

“It happened in defence practice. I went low and the stud got me in the head,” Blyde told RugbyPass.

“The bleeding looks more dramatic than what it is. Bloody Jorja, she’s leaving her mark wherever she goes.”

In November 19-year-old Miller signed an unprecedented four-year contract with New Zealand Rugby, the longest deal ever by a female player. Last season Miller was named World Rugby Sevens Rookie of the Year. She’s had a similar breakout impact to Blyde who was twice anointed World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

“Jorja has done well. She’s stamped her mark right away and comes from a high school environment with better players, coaches, and resources. When I was her age there wasn’t really anyone to look up to and certainly not the possibility of a long-term professional contract,” Blyde said.

“Her biggest challenge will be to keep on learning and being aware that our bodies change. She’s casual about the warmup. In five years, she’ll be warming up.”

With 197 tries in the HSBC SVNS, second only to Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Blyde knows how to sustain excellence. In 2014, when she was 18, she scored a try in her first game for New Zealand against the Netherlands in Atlanta.

Blyde holds the record for the most tries by a Black Ferns Sevens player in a single match (six against Sri Lanka at the 2022 Commonwealth Games) and she scored a record five tries in a single fixture against England in Langford in 2017. Blyde has won six Sevens titles and gold medals at the Olympics, World Cup, and Commonwealth Games.

In the Dubai final last week, the Black Ferns Sevens surrendered their 41-game unbeaten streak when they were toppled 26-19 by Australia. Miller scored three tries in the decider, but Blyde insists the Black Ferns Sevens were well below their best.

“We weren’t happy whatsoever with how we performed generally.  Was it the nerves of starting a new season, a lack of match fitness, or getting too far ahead of ourselves? We’ve had some honest conversations about those things and Cape Town will be very much a one-game-at-a-time approach,” Blyde said.

“The Olympics are our main goal. You can tell everyone has lifted things a notch. I remember when I first played against Maddison Levi at the Oceania Sevens and she was picked by Australia for the Olympics, and I was like ‘What.’ She’s become borderline unstoppable. Her sister Teagan is like our Jorja.”

The Black Ferns’ prospects were badly hampered by a serious knee injury to skipper Sarah Hirini earlier in the tournament. Hirini has captained New Zealand in over 40 HSBC SVNS events.

“It’s a massive loss. We love Sarah and will do whatever it takes to support her, but we can’t dwell on it,” Blyde said.

“The World Series goes on. There will be girls who get greater minutes covering hooker and prop. Risi Pouri-Lane steps up as captain and she’s incredible, small but strong with a huge impact on defence and great vision on the attack. She leads from the front but we’re all leaders in our own way.”

Stacey Waaka and soon returning World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Tyla Nathan-Wong comprise the senior leadership group.

Ireland, Brazil, and Great Britain comprise New Zealand’s group in the second HSBC SVNS event in Cape Town this weekend. Blyde was at the Rugby World Cup final in October in Paris won by the Springboks over the All Blacks. She was an ambassador for an All Blacks tour group and felt a special affinity with South Africa.

“We’ve had multiple people come up to us in South Africa and tell us about how excited they are to have won the World Cup and how much rugby means to them. That’s special because when you come here you see there isn’t a lot of wealth and opportunity in some places.

“It gives you a greater gratitude for what you do. We have a privileged pressure. Win, lose, or draw the sun still rises. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves of that.”