The Australians have fallen in the final moments of the New York Final, going down 22-21 to New Zealand in the final leg of the SVNS World Series regular season.
Tim Walsh’s side were in the prime position to claim their second title of the 25-26 season and the first at the new event after a powerful start.
Watch the 2025-2026 HSBC SVNS Series live and on demand via Stan Sport. They had a 21-5 lead with five minutes to go, only to watch the Kiwis run in three consecutive tries to break the hearts of the Aussies, with Katelyn Vahaakolo nabbing the winner in the final seconds.
Returning star Teagan Levi was sensational in building the lead, scoring a double.
After missing the loss last week in Vancouver, Levi had a point to prove as her fresh legs made an impact.
With sister Maddison levelling the scores after Kelsey Teneti’s early strike, the younger Levi sister combined with Madison Ashby to race clear go face Australia a 14-5 lead at the break.
When she added her second to start the second half, the Aussies were in prime position to end New Zealand’s celebrations, who had taken out the regular season title by qualifying for the decider.
However, the Black Ferns 7s refused to give up and launched the fightback.
First, Alena Saili reduced the lead after scoring in the corner, before Teneti’s second brought the margin to within six points.
Jorja Miller’s turnover with 90 seconds to go provided prime field position for one last surge.
While Saili was brought down inches from the line by Maddison Levi, there was still enough space for Vahaakolo to find the line near the posts.
Australia had one last chance on the siren to respond, only for the kick-off to fly over their heads and into touch, sealing a remarkable comeback for the Kiwis.
The Australians turn their attention to the new-look World Championship, starting in Hong Kong next month.
The three-leg event sees the competition expand to 12 teams, with the final two legs in Valladolid and Bordeaux.
