(Reuters) - Maddison Levi scored a dramatic 75-metre intercept try to give Australia a 28-24 victory over New Zealand in the Dubai Sevens women's final on Sunday, breaking Portia Woodman-Wickliffe's single-tournament try record in the process.
The newly crowned World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year had dotted down 14 times on the road to the final and her 15th against the run of play in the last minute got the Australians off to the best possible start in the new season.
"I'm so proud of the girls and how they showed up tonight and for the rest of the tournament," said skipper Bella Nasser after Australia had secured a fifth straight Dubai title.
"We just have such a tight-knit group. The young girls really showed up today and I'm sure they will (for) the rest of the season. We've got such a young and mature group, so the best is yet to come."
Levi scored 37 tries last year as Australia finished runners-up to New Zealand in the World Series and despite her 14 tries at the Paris Olympics, she failed to win a medal.
Woodman-Wickliffe, who retired after winning a second Olympic gold with New Zealand in Paris, scored 14 tries at the U.S. tournament in the 2014-15 season and remains the most prolific try-scorer in the Women's World Series with 256.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
