Dubai Rugby Sevens: All Blacks win, series champs Fiji edge Japan

Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens

Black Caps joined Australia, Fiji, England and South Africa to claim wins on the opening day of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens on Thursday.

Defending champions New Zealand secured a 36-7 win over Wales, while England defeated Spain by the same margin at 7he Sevens Stadium.

Australia clocked 43-14 win over Scotland, while South Africa survived a scare with a 17-12 win against Kenya.

Series champions Fiji held off a fast-finishing Japan 24-17, while USA beat Ireland 24-19.

Samoa and France were the other narrow winners, coming through against Canada and Argentina respectively with a successful conversion giving Les Bleus the smallest winning margin of the day, 12-10.

In the women's competition, teams from New Zealand, USA, Australia, Canada, France and Spain all secured wins on day one.

Over 100,000 fans are expected to descend on The Sevens Stadium over the weekend for a spectacular display of sports and entertainment, with pop star Kylie Minogue taking to the stage today. 

More from Sports News

  • Djokovic quells Alcaraz challenge to reach Australian Open semis

    Novak Djokovic beat young rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 in a battle worthy of a title clash to charge into the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday and remain in the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

  • Dupont back to Six Nations to inspire France

    Antoine Dupont will make a much-awaited return to the Six Nations after a one-year hiatus that cemented his status as one of France's top athletes, hoping Les Bleus can win the tournament on the back of a perfect autumn series.

  • Zverev raises game to overcome Tommy Paul in Melbourne

    Alexander Zverev played his best tennis when it mattered most to down Tommy Paul 7-6(1) 7-6(0) 2-6 6-1 on Tuesday and reach his third Australian Open semi-final in five years, keeping alive his dream of finally landing a Grand Slam title.

  • Sabalenka safely through to semis, Badosa downs Gauff

    Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a battling 6-2 2-6 6-3 win over Russian 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova while Spain's Paula Badosa stunned error-prone third seed Coco Gauff 7-5 6-4.

  • Dubai Capitals stun The Desert Vipers

    The Desert Vipers' undefeated streak finally came to an end on Monday, as the Dubai Capitals delivered a stunning six-wicket victory at the Dubai International Stadium.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio