Australia have won the women’s World Sevens Series, giving them momentum and confidence heading into this year’s Olympic Games.
Victory over France in the final 26-7 26-7 at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid gave Australia the series crown.
The two sides were level at 7-7 at half-time before Australia cut down the errors. Then it became another Maddison Levi show.
Levi brushed off two defenders for the go-ahead try, finished off the second in the other corner, and face-palmed a defender to score her third.
Levi scored 13 of Australia’s 21 tries in Madrid, including three hat-tricks in five games.
Her 69 tries in the season were the second best total in series history, among men and women, after Vilimoni Delasau’s 83 for Fiji in the inaugural 1999-2000 season.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without the girls inside me,” Levi said.
Arguably her biggest moment was in the semifinal against New Zealand. The clock was in red, Australia trailed 19-14, and Levi regained the restart and ended up scoring the tying try. Then Tia Hinds kicked the conversion from the touchline.
New Zealand had won the last four tournaments. The battles with Australia finished 3-3 this season. The teams also share the only two Olympic gold medals and will be the favourites again in Paris.
Australia captain Charlotte Carlick noted its importance after the final.
“Great to get a win over the Kiwis this morning, we have a ding-dong battle with them,” Caslick said.
“Just got confidence out of that and belief in ourselves which is really important moving into the Paris Games.”
AP
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