New Zealand U18 teams will be attempting to repatriate both the boys and girls trophies at the Global Youth Sevens this weekend after both titles were spirited offshore last year.
That was the first time in the 9-year history of the event that New Zealand had failed to keep at least one cup on home soil, and the challenge of winning them back will be significant, with defending champions Japan (girls) and Australia (boys) arriving in Auckland earlier this week with potent squads for a tournament which kicks off at 9am on Friday (December 19) and finishes on Sunday (December 21) at Dilworth School.
In the girls draw, Japan's squad includes Satsuki Ouchida, one of their speediest try-scorers in their shock 26-15 final win over Australia in last year's final, and they are again expected to be a major force.
The 2025 New Zealand Girls U18 team is built around three players from beaten Condor Sevens finalists Howick College, three from Condor semifinalists Christchurch Girls' High,
and two from semifinalists St Mary's College (Wellington).
At an individual level, Asha Taumoepeau-Williams played a pivotal role in helping Howick win the last two Blues First XV championships and the 2024 Condor Sevens. In two thrilling Hine Pounamu National Top Four matchups against the champions, Manukura, over the past two years, she also scored three tries to heighten anxiety for the formidable Māori powerhouse briefly, and in 2025, she made six appearances for Auckland in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Emacyn Ieremia is a Year 12 at Epsom Girls Grammar who played seven games at halfback and scored two tries for the Auckland Storm in the 2025 Farah Palmer Cup (playing alongside her PE teacher and former Rugby World Cup-winning Black Fern, Eloise Blackwell).
Levonah Motuliki (Howick) played seven games for Auckland and scored six tries in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Lynda Rabeni-Vatuloka is head girl at Wellington champions St Mary’s College. The Wellington Pride loose forward is known as “Mini Bindi” due to her resemblance to Black Ferns legend Linda “Bindi” Itunu.
Mika Lene (Christchurch Girls’ High) is the daughter of a former Black Fern, Stacey Lene, while fellow schoolmate Poppy Baxter, played seven games for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup (and is the daughter of U18 team coach Blair Baxter).
Asha James (Mt Maunganui College) has played five games for Bay of Plenty and is the only selection from a school not to have won the National Top Four or Condor Sevens.
Meanwhile Australia are expected to be top contenders in the girls draw, having won the tournament in 2018, 2019, and 2023, and finishing as runners-up in 2017, 2022, and 2024. Waiaria Ellis, who played for the Wallaroos at the Rugby World Cup in August and September, headlines the team.
New Zealand face Australia first-up at 9.03am on Friday.
Elsewhere in the girls draw New Zealand Cavaliers, coached by former Chief Hare Makiri, will be ones to watch, given they feature five players from Condor Sevens winners Manukuru in India O'Connell, Keighley-Rein Araia, Te Maia Sweetman, Taylah Seng and Te Waikaukau Mathieson-Julian, plus Rochelle Christie, Charlie Lindsay, Malena Lavea and Keana Farani from Condor runners-up Howick College.
In the boys draw New Zealand U18s have an opportunity to avenge a couple of painful losses by New Zealand Schools to Australia U18s in 15s rugby tests back in October.
But it won't be easy, with Australia U18s having pieced together a formidable squad, which includes mercurial midfield back Treyvon Pritchard. who scored three tries against New Zealand Schools in two matches and was late named Australia's Bronze Boot (MVP) winner from the Transtasman series.
Also onboard from that series are winger Brody Folkes, openside flanker Jarvis Orr and utility back and dual-code prospect Chayse Geros.
Orr was also a member of the 2024 champion Australian team, while other returning players are Tom Hartman and Bailey Roberts-Lintmeijer. Roberts-Lintmeijer and Folkes are on development contracts with the Australia Men's Sevens national programme, further hinting at their deep reservoir of talent.
Australia beat New Zealand 22-12 in last year's Global Youth Sevens semifinals and then won the final 31-7 against a New Edition squad which featured players of the quality of Micah Fale, Siale Pahulu, Saumaki Saumaki, Mason Verster, Ollie Guerin, and Peni Havea.
The New Zealand Boys Sevens U18s have two players who were in the 2025 New Zealand Schools 15s squad in flanker Jake Hutchings (Rotorua) and No.8 Rupeni Raviyawa (Feilding), who was one of the standouts on the short tour to Canberra, scoring three tries against Australia.
Raviyawa and New Plymouth's Brayden Neilson are the only players returning from last year's New Zealand U18 Sevens squad, but there are also a host of exciting young prospects named.
These include eyecatching Westlake centre Matt Fleming, who was the runaway winner of the Sky TV Fans' Try of the Year at the New Zealand Rugby Awards, beating off efforts from fellow finalists Lucas Casey (Otago) and Damian McKenzie (All Blacks).
Also stepping up are Tauranga's fleet-footed fullback Tommy McQuoid, a member of this year's New Zealand U18 Barbarians squad, and Whangārei's Brock Reid, a driving force behind his school's shock win at the Condor Sevens.
Tafai Ioasa returns as New Zealand U18 head coach and is joined this year by former All Blacks Sevens legend DJ Forbes.
Meanwhile twinkle-toed Condor Sevens MVP Henare Parangai (Whangārei) and fellow Condor tournament team member Te Ariki Rogers (Rotorua) are turning out for a potentially dangerous Aotearoa Māori team, alongside another game-breaker in Hamilton Boys' High skipper Alex Arnold.
All Global Youth Sevens games on Pitch 1 will be live on Sky TV, while all fields will be covered live on the tournament's official pay-to-view "GY7+" streaming platform.
New Zealand U18 Boys Sevens: Jake Hutchings (Rotorua), Elijah Solomona (St Patrick's Silverstream), Rupeni Raviyawa (Feilding), Brock Reid (Whangārei), Cameron Jones (Christchurch), Matt Fleming (Westlake), Jake Hill (King's High), Brayden Neilson (New Plymouth Old Boys), Henry Speedy (Palmerston North), Anru Erasmus (Marlborough), Tommy McQuoid (Tauranga), James Tuituba (Feilding). Coach: Tafai Ioasa.
Australia U18 Boys Sevens (defending champs): Brody Folkes, Chayse Geros, Tom Hartman, Ryder Koia, Iziah Lolohea, Julian Minto, Tom O’Hara, Jarvis Orr, Treyvon Pritchard, Max Prykiel, Bailey Roberts-Lintmeijer, Will Trostel, Ian Tunufa’i.
New Zealand U18 Girls Sevens: Alice Geary (Christchurch Girls' High), Asha James (Mt Maunganui College), Asha Taumoepeau-Williams (Howick College), Ava Sila (Howick College), Emacyn Ieremia (Epsom Girls' Grammar), Hana Symes (Feilding High), Koiatarua Edwards (Hamilton Girls' High), Levonah Motuliki (Howick College), Lynda Rabeni-Vatuloka (St Mary's Wellington), Mika Lene (Christchurch Girls High), Poppy Baxter (Christchurch Girls' High), Te Arani Vulu (St Mary's Wellington). Coach: Blair Baxter.
Japan U18 Girls Sevens (defending champs): Nami Asari, Yuna Ikenaga, So Inoue, Aoi Ichinose, Chihiro Ito, Yui Togashi, You Harada, Ako Nakano, Hiyori Kawachi, Yuna Hosokawa, Hinata Kawabe, Hinako Akagi, Satsuki Ouchida, Honomi Shimazu.
Global Youth Sevens 2025 team entries:
Boys: All Stars, Aotearoa Māori, Australian Cavaliers, Australian Raptors, Australian U18, Belmont Shore Rugby, Chile Barbarians, Cook Islands Australia, Cook Islands NZ, Eden Hawks, GTEC Lions, Harbour, Hawkes Bay Saracens, MacDowell Rugby, Mangere Mannix, New Zealand Bucks, Nuie Nukututaha, North Development Fiji, NZ Cavaliers, NZ Fijian Schools, NZ Irish Barbarians, New Zealand U18, Mizuno, Pacific Nomads, Perth Fresh, Queensland Indigenous & Pasifika, RSA, Saints, Samoa NZ, Seafarers Otago, TOA Worldwide Sevens (South Africa), Southern Sports Academy Australia, Sydney Fiji Harlequins, Tainui Waka Boys, Tama Uli Samoa, Tongan Barbairians TBR, USA, Waitaha Maori, Waterboy International, Wavewearers Taranaki.
Girls: Aotearoa Māori, Australian Cavaliers, Australian Raptors Girls, Australian Schoolgirls, Australian U18, Bay Fire Girls, BC Bears, Central Storm, China, Cook Islands NZ, Eden Hawks, Global Lions, Hibiscus Coast, Japan U18, Jasipa (Fiji), Jasper Williams, MacDowell Rugby, Mangere Mannix, Matatu South Island, New Edition, NZ Barbarians, NZ Cavaliers, NZ Fiji Girls, New Zealand U18, Pacific Nomads, Pacific Tribe, Pir-Le Moana (NZ), Queensland Honey Bees Girls, RSA, Rugby Vault, Samoa NZ, Tainui Waka Rugby, USA Rugby.
