Almost overlooked amid her subsequent achievements, Sorensen-McGee was talismanic for the New Zealand U18 team at last year’s Global Youth Sevens and was duly named in the tournament team, while Miller used the event as a launchpad for a career in sevens after being selected for the girls tournament team in both 2019 and 2020.

Other tournament alumni over the years include All Blacks Tamaiti Williams, Hoskins Sotutu, Noah Hotham, Emoni Narawa, Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai and Leroy Carter, and Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Sylvia Brunt, Risi Pouri-Lane and Aleina Sali for the Black Ferns Sevens.

For Felix-Hotham, an Olympic gold medallist who has represented New Zealand in more than 25 sevens tournaments, the Global Youth Sevens holds special memories.

In 2017 as a Hamilton Girls’ High School student, she scored the winning try after the buzzer for New Zealand’s 20-19 victory over Australia to win the inaugural girls title.

It was a bit of a messy try – a hurried skip pass hit the ground and slipped past three potential receivers before Felix-Hotham, with cool composure, cleaned up like a powerful disinfectant to dash across the line.

Earlier, she had pierced the Australian defence with a now trademark left-foot sidestep – and these are moments Felix-Hotham regards as a pivotal point in her career.

“It was the start of a whole bunch of friendships and rivalries for me,” Felix-Hotham said of Global Youth Sevens. ”In that New Zealand team, I played with Aleina Sali and we’ve been teammates in the Black Ferns Sevens since 2018.

“Mahina Paul and our skipper Risi Pouri-Lane played for New Zealand in 2018 and together we were all chosen for the Youth Olympics, where we won the gold medal in Argentina, though I didn’t get to play because of a shoulder injury.

“In the Aussie team that day, they had Faith Nathan, Demi Hayes and Madison Ashby. Our respect and rivalry with them is massive.

“The thing about the Global Youth Sevens is that was the first chance we had to represent our country.

“Before it, there was no New Zealand versus Australia or Japan. You might say one tournament isn’t a big deal, but it’s something really worth aiming for. It’s tangible and has been a launchpad for many.”

Perhaps even more unique has been the rugby journey of Sariah Ibarra, who grew up in California but later enrolled at Hamilton Girls’, from where she earned selection in the New Zealand U18 team which contested the 2023 Global Youth Sevens.

Upon her return to the United States, she was immediately called into the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens squad ahead of their bronze-medal finish at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and has now also accrued six USA caps in XVs, including two appearances at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.

But if this tournament is now widely recognised as a breeding ground for emerging New Zealand talent, the case could be argued it is even more important for Australia, who have returned this week with a powerful boys squad to defend the title they won last year.

Here’s Rugby Australia’s men’s sevens pathways head Shannon Fraser: “The Global Youth Sevens has been a natural pathway for our players to progress through to the Aussie men’s programme and we anticipate for that to continue through to the 2028 Olympics.”

Lachie Parkinson, head of Australia’s women’s performance pathways, agreed Global Youth Sevens was critical in exposing their talent to international competition and travel.

“The importance of the competition is reflected in the graduates from over the years,” he said in reeling off the names of 18 contracted players (out of a total of 22) who had progressed to playing for Australia in either sevens or XVs, with 13 Wallaroos having come through the Global Youth Sevens pathway.

And on the male side, they’ve also had Wallabies Tane Edmed, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Dylan Piestch and Tate McDermott come through the Global Youth Sevens tournament, as well as 10 players from the current Australian men’s sevens squad.

This year, Australia have included four stars from their XVs squad who ran rampant against New Zealand Schools back in October, racking up a staggering 136 points in two test triumphs.

Mercurial midfield back Treyvon Pritchard, who scored three tries against New Zealand Schools in the two matches and was late named Australia’s Bronze Boot (MVP) winner from the transtasman series, has been named in the squad, along with winger Brody Folkes, openside flanker Jarvis Orr and utility back and dual-code prospect Chayse Geros.

This should be concentrating the minds of New Zealand fans. Orr was also a member of Australia’s 2024 champions, 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.

Fraser is on record as saying his squad have the potential to go back-to-back after beating New Zealand 22-12 in last year’s semi-finals and then winning the final 31-7 against a New Edition squad, which featured the likes of Micah Fale, Siale Pahulu, Saumaki Saumaki, Mason Verster, Ollie Guerin and Peni Havea.

However the New Zealand Boys Sevens U18 side may see things differently, with a squad that feature two players who were in the 2025 New Zealand Schools XVs squad in flanker Jake Hutchings (Rotorua) and No 8 Rupeni Raviyawa (Feilding), who was one of the few to shine 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 squad, but there are also a host of exciting young prospects named.

These include eye-catching Westlake Boys’ High School centre Matt Fleming, who was the runaway winner of the Sky TV Fans’ Try of the Year at the New Zealand Rugby Awards last week, beating off efforts from fellow finalists Lucas Casey (Otago) and Damian McKenzie (All Blacks).

Also on board are Tauranga’s fleet-footed fullback Tommy McQuoid, a member of this year’s New Zealand Barbarians U18 squad, and Whangārei’s Brock Reid, a driving force behind his school’s shock win at the Condor Sevens.

But interestingly, twinkle-toed Condor Sevens MVP Henare Parangai (Whangārei Boys’ High School) and fellow Condor tournament team member Te Ariki Rogers (Rotorua Boys’ High School) have instead popped up in the Aotearoa Māori team, alongside Hamilton Boys’ High School skipper Alex Arnold, in what also shapes as a potent threat.

Tafai Ioasa returns as New Zealand U18 head coach and is joined this year by All Blacks Sevens legend D.J. Forbes.

There were murmurings back in September when 10 Auckland players (out of 26) were selected in the New Zealand Schools (15s) squad who were subsequently hammered by Australia.

So it should not go unnoticed that not a single Auckland 1A rugby player has made the New Zealand U18 squad for this tournament – though two from North Harbour have got the nod.

On the girls’ side, the Japanese U18s are back to defend their title, with a squad including Satsuki Ouchida, one of their skilful try-scorers in their shock 26-15 final win over Australia in last year’s final. Japan were exceptional last year and a nightmare for opponents with their speed and variation, with Ouchida in particular showing an ability to hit gaps like a Tokyo bullet train.

However, this time around, they are without former stars Umi Kikawa, Leilani Naiyaga and Hazuki Ouchida (MVP), who made the 2024 tournament team.

The New Zealand Girls U18 team have generated a lot of discussion, given the selectorial decision to completely overlook the talent from the admittedly youthful but quicksilver Condor Sevens winners Manukura, who never conceded a single point in pool play at Mount Maunganui.

But there are still plenty of standouts in coach Blair Baxter’s team, built around three players from Condor semi-finalists Christchurch Girls’ High School, three from beaten finalists Howick College and two from semi-finalists St Mary’s College (Wellington).

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 match-ups 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 student at Epsom Girls’ Grammar School 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 School) 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 coach Blair Baxter).

Asha James (Mount 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 the top contenders, 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.

However, Darci Turinui, daughter of former Wallaby and outspoken commentator Morgan Turinui, is expected to make some noise. Turinui was the leading try-scorer in the Next Gen 7s competition held in August and has played at a senior level for her club, Easts, as well as representing New South Wales.

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 side

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 Maori, 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 Maori, 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, Queensland Honey Bees Girls, RSA, Rugby Vault, Samoa NZ, Tainui Waka rugby, USA Rugby.