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Black Ferns Sevens pulling out all the stops to ensure season ends on a high at World Cup

July 5, 2018

The women’s sevens squad have held a secret trial to decide who will go to San Francisco.

This time next week New Zealand's men's and women's sevens teams will be in San Francisco preparing to defend their titles at the World Cup.

For the women, it would seem like they've peaked after winning the Commonwealth Games gold before they cleaned up at the last three World Series tournaments.

But they've managed to hit a new level in the last two months of what's been a very busy schedule.

Ruby Tui says it’s fascinating seeing the Black Ferns Sevens go from strength to strength.

"We're at the end of our season now, the World Cup is our last one and you can drop mentally but we've done nothing but go up and the girls are still going up," she said.

"I don't know how [coach] is going to pick a team."

To help with that exact problem, coach Allan Bunting held a secret trial behind closed doors.

While media weren’t allowed in, he told 1 NEWS it was eye-opening.

"The girls have trained probably the most amazing I've ever seen.

"We've had a trial out here with 20 girls playing against each other and I could pick two teams that can go to that World Cup and probably meet in a final - that's my true belief."

Speedster Michaela Blyde said the trial was intense.

"I think we had one girl that got knocked out and a couple of girls that got some Charlies and what not."

Team naming is next Tuesday before they head to San Francisco where they will look to repeat their 2013 success at the iconic AT&T Park.

Should they do so, they would become the first ever back-to-back World Cup winners.

But there's a big difference from 2013, with a new tournament format making every fixture an elimination game.

Kelly Brazier says the team are making sure they enter the tournament with the right mindset.

"Every single game you just have to put out your best performance and it’s do or die."

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