Black Ferns star Jorja Miller puts sevens first with long-term NZ Rugby deal

Thursday, 23 July 2026

Black Ferns star Jorja Miller will continue to prioritise rugby sevens after re-signing with New Zealand Rugby on a long-term deal through to the end of 2029.

Miller, 22, was a central figure for the Black Ferns during the 15-a-side World Cup last year, but has re-committed her immediate future to the sevens squad. Winning a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is her core focus.

'For me my main commitment is to Black Ferns Sevens and doing everything I can to win this next Olympic gold medal,' Miller said. 'Every day I wake up knowing what I want to do. I want to be able to inspire and influence our team to do what hasn’t been done before.'

The reigning back-to-back World Rugby Sevens player of the year said she remains as motivated as when she signed her first professional contract as a 19-year-old in 2022.

'I feel like I’m still just scraping the surface, and I don’t feel like I’ve reached my potential of the best I can be, so I’ll continue to strive to be better as a teammate and as a leader and in whatever role I’m doing,' Miller said.

Miller, who was also named the 2024 Kel Tremain Memorial New Zealand Rugby player of the year, has notched 118 appearances and 111 tries for the Black Ferns Sevens.

She also acknowledged next year’s inaugural British and Irish Lions women’s tour to New Zealand as an exciting prospect.

'I don’t know what that could look like for me at this stage, but having an exciting Lions tour coming to New Zealand and to play at home, that’s really exciting,' she said.

Black Ferns Sevens head coach Cory Sweeney said Miller had grown immensely as a leader, while New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Lancaster described her as an ambassador for the sport.