Nia Toliver lived up to her “American Lomu” nickname in Cardiff, proving an unstoppable force as the Atlantic Novas became the first-ever Ultimate Sevens women’s champions.
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The USA flyer was simply uncontainable throughout the knockout stages, scoring four tries across the tournament — including a breathtaking brace against Albion Athletic in the semi-final. Toliver crossed again in the final as the Novas defeated Sol Feroz 19-7, with her teammate Faith Nathan dubbing her as 'end game'.
“Having Nia on my outside, give her early ball. See you later. End game. Best thing ever.” Nathan told RUCK at the Arms Park.
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It was a simple formula, but one that proved brutally effective. Toliver’s two tries against Albion included a stunning near length-of-the-field break down the touchline, while her presence continued to cause problems for Sol Feroz in the final.
However, Ultimate Sevens has already shown just how quickly the picture can change.
When the competition moved to Biarritz the following weekend, the reigning champions were handed an immediate test of their credentials. This time, it was Sol Feroz who came out on top, shutting the Novas out 12-0 in the opening women’s match.
The result meant Atlantic Novas were unable to repeat their Cardiff heroics, while Pacific Current ultimately emerged as the Biarritz champions after beating Clan Taran 25-19 in the final.
For Nathan and Toliver, however, the Biarritz setback provides a different backdrop heading into Thursday's London Grand Final. Their Cardiff experience demonstrated just how quickly an international collection of players can develop into a functioning sevens side.
Biarritz, meanwhile, underlined the other side of the competition's format: with short, intense matches and a straight knockout structure, there is little margin for error. For Nathan, playing alongside Toliver in Cardiff was a particularly enjoyable experience after previously watching her from the other side.
For Nathan, playing alongside the American was a particularly enjoyable experience after previously watching her from the other side. “I always looked to Nia when she was on the other side, and she's an unbelievable player, not just on the field but also off the field,” she said.
Toliver's combination of blistering pace, power and open-field running made Toliver one of the defining players of Ultimate Sevens’ opening weekend, earning her the inaugural women’s MVP award. Yet the American was quick to insist that her individual success was merely a product of a team that had completely bought into the new competition.
“From the training in Madrid, our team was, I think, one of the most serious teams,” Toliver said. “The only day off we had was our travel day. So I think with that mentality of hard work, buy-in, yeah, we see the result. My own personal result is a culmination of my teammates as well. So we're all in this together.”
That commitment was particularly important given the unique demands of Ultimate Sevens. With players arriving from different countries, different programmes and different playing systems, the Atlantic Novas had only a short period together before being thrown into a competition featuring rapid turnarounds and a completely new format.
Somehow, they clicked almost immediately. Toliver admitted she was surprised by just how quickly a squad of international stars found their rhythm.
“I played against Faith before, so it's awesome playing with her. I played against Silvia [Moreno - Spain] before, so it's really awesome playing with her. I played against Chichi [Chiharu Nakamura - Japan], awesome playing with her,” she said.
“A lot of those girls, it's like you play against them. It's like, I'm so glad we are playing together. The point about us all being from different countries with different playing styles — it's really surprising. I'm really surprised too how well we're all getting along.”
Perhaps the clearest example of that chemistry was the connection between Toliver and Australian speedster Faith Nathan. The pair had only met a week earlier, but Nathan quickly realised that giving Toliver early ball in space was a recipe for devastation.
Now, the Novas have a target on their backs. Their Cardiff triumph has established them as the team to beat when Ultimate Sevens moves to Biarritz, but both Toliver and Nathan are already focused on the challenge of backing up their historic opening weekend.
“We've been keeping it super low key on the media, but now we've got to back it up,” Nathan said.
Toliver’s approach is similarly uncomplicated. “Head down, work hard. Really, keep buying in. Keep doing the hard work early.”
And while the MVP may have been the headline individual award, Toliver remains clear about what her job is when the ball finds her hands. Asked what happens when she gets the ball and takes off, she laughed: “It goes into a blur.”
Then came the perfect explanation of what makes her so dangerous. "I'm just happy my teammates are happy because again, I'd be getting an earful if I'm in the middle, just like Nia. You know who you need to be, so I'm happy to do my job.
“That's my job. Is to stay out wide when I get the ball. It's balls to the wall.”
For the inaugural Ultimate Sevens champions, the formula is already clear: hard work, total buy-in — and, when all else fails, give the ball to the “American Lomu” and let her loose.
The inaugural champions have already experienced the highs and lows of Ultimate Sevens. Now, in London, they get one final chance to show what they have learned.
