New Zealand finish sevens series in style

LONDON (AFP) –

New Zealand players celebrate on the podium aftern winning the Rugby Union England Sevens Cup final match against Australia at Twickenham Stadium, southwest of London, on May 12, 2013. New Zealand won the match 47-12.

New Zealand set the seal on their 2012/13 Sevens World Series victory by winning the ninth and final round in London on Sunday.

Six weeks before the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, the New Zealanders beat Australia 47-12 in the Twickenham Cup final to finish the series with 173 points, 41 ahead of second-placed South Africa on 132.

Fiji finish third in the Series on 121, ahead of Samoa (104) and Kenya (99), who reached a fifth Cup semi-final of the season in London.

Tournament hosts England beat the Kenyans to third place and finished the series in sixth place.

London set a new two-day world record for a rugby sevens attendance, with 113,023 fans attending over the weekend.

“Over the course of this superb season of Rugby Sevens more people than ever before have watched the game in packed stadia and also on television worldwide,” said International Rugby Board chief executive Brett Gosper.

“We have seen the competitive edge and excitement of the Series rise again, which is very encouraging as we now build towards the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow on 28-30 June,” the Australian added.