Seventeen-year-old Rieko Ioane announced himself as a player for the future with a starring role as the All Blacks Sevens beat England 27-21 in Saturday's final to cap a perfect two days in Wellington. Ioane, one of New Zealand's four tournament debutants, crossed twice in the final and once in the pivotal 17-7 semi-final win over series leaders South Africa. The dynamic Ioane was still coming to terms with his own performance. "I was definitely nervous. It's all happened so fast, it's been a surreal experience," Ioane said. "It's something I won't forget, I enjoyed every minute of it." Because of his age, Ioane needed dispensation to contest the tournament. His parents were both called on last week to provide clearance. "They were pretty happy to do it," he said.

• published: 08 Feb 2015
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