Black Ferns Sevens hero Stacey Waaka isn't feeling the pressure for the upcoming Sydney Sevens tournament, where the New Zealand women haven't won a title in the past two years.
Waaka scored a hat-trick for New Zealand in the women's 31-0 final win over France at the Hamilton Sevens on Sunday.
The 23-year-old flyer says she isn't fazed about stepping up and filling in for injured sevens star Portia Woodman.
"We are two completely different players and she [Woodman] gives me a lot of inspiration," said Waaka.
Woodman ruptured her Achilles last year in November and underwent surgery later that month. She is expected to return to the rugby field in August-September.
"But I'm just trying to be the best version of myself for the team. I mean there is six other girls on the field, so that is always helpful – there is Shaky [Shakira Baker] there’s Alena [Saili].
"As long as we try to do the best we can I think we are good."
Last year the Australian women took out the Sydney Sevens tournament, with Canada taking out the title in 2017.
"We've reflected on the last two times in Sydney and we actually haven't won the tournament," Waaka said.
"A lot of learnings, we definitely know what we have to work on and it just gives us that little bit extra motivation to try and win the tournament."
The Black Ferns Sevens team have been on a hot winning streak, taking out the Rugby World Cup Sevens title in San Francisco last year in July and winning the past two world series events in Glendale and Dubai.
"The feeling [losing] still sticks with us even though it has been a successful year, we don't want to be too complacent, so we are just trying to find new ways to build, to be better and try out different things.
"Because we don't want to be the team that does the same thing all the time, so we'll just take it as it comes."
The Black Ferns Sevens begin their Sydney Sevens campaign against Papua New Guinea at 3:06pm [NZ time] on Friday before taking on France and England in pool play.
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