Queensland have wrapped up the AON Next Gen Sevens series with a dominant display in Toowoomba to claim the fifth and final round.
With several stars returning, the hosts maintained their near-perfect record to sweep through Saturday's games undefeated, losing just one game across the five rounds
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Queensland - and the fog - dominated the opening match against the Rising Stars with a 34-5 victory.
With visibility cut, the Reds' relenting pressure forced an in-goal mistake to give Mel Wilks the easiest of tries.
Returning Sevens call-up Kaitlan Shave continued her dominance with a try in the corner as the Queenslanders took a 15-0 lead into the break, before running away with the game thanks to a double to Amahli-Sieli Hala.
They then held off a spirited NSW fightback, having established a 17-0 lead before two late tries set up a grandstand finish.
From here, they didn't concede a point in their final two games as the likes of Shave, Wilks and Hala blitzed the Stars (36-0) and Waratahs (29-0) defence.
"From the first round at Bond University to the last round in Toowoomba, the competition excelled across all teams, and it was amazing to see the next generation coming through the system and showcasing their talents," Reds captain Sidney Taylor said.
“It was really exciting to see our squad perform over the series as we worked to improve each round. Having players from the Aussie Sevens program play with us during the series really motivated us and gave us an insight into the elite level of rugby.”
NSW took out second place after a pair of victories over the invitational side.
Triple Crown Sevens star Tia Hinds guided the youthful side home, answering an early Stars try with a long-range effort before Ruby Nicholas scored and set up another to close out the game 19-10.
Piper Simons continued her strong tournament, defying the wet conditions to score a double in a comfortable 17-7 win.
Despite going through the AON tournament without a win, Rising Stars coach James Erwin believes the opportunity will be vital for their development heading forward as a number of girls interchanged between the Queensland and NSW sides whilst preparing to return to their respective Super W teams.
"Whilst it was hard to build consistency in performances across the series with a new group each round, there were so many wins across the board for the Aon Rising Stars,” said Erwin.
“We were able to build some meaningful growth and confidence in the athletes who finished the series with a real passion and desire to continue to grow towards one day playing in green and gold.
“The ability for these athletes to get exposed to, the coaches and levels of performance they need to reach is priceless. This series will be the backbone of the continued success of the Aussie Sevens program through Paris, LA and into Brisbane 2032."
*All times AEST
9:00am – AON Rising Stars 5 def by Reds Sevens 34
10:20am – AON Rising Stars 10 def by NSW 19
11:40am – NSW 12 def by Reds Sevens 17
1:00pm – Reds 36 def AON Rising Stars
2:20pm – AON Rising Stars 7 def by NSW 17
3:40pm – Reds Sevens 29 def NSW 0
