Jorja Miller has been absolutely tearing it up in the international Women’s Sevens Scene, and now she’s just added the ultimate cherry on top.
After being crowned World Rugby’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ in her debut season back in 2023, she has today been announced as World Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Player of the Year.
Yup - just two years after her debut.
It’s a huge recognition for Miller, who is a fierce competitor, with impressive strength and quickness. (In high school I played against her in basketball and every time she ran at me, I moved out of the way.)
Her rise began early, as she dominated the high school scene, attracting enough attention to sign with the Black Ferns Sevens in 2022.
She didn’t just make the squad, she owned it.
Over the course of the season, she competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series, where she played every game and landed on the ‘Dream Team’ for four separate tournaments.
That’s when she got the rookie of the year nod, and earned a record-breaking four-year contract with the Ferns - what was then the longest contract signed by any woman in New Zealand rugby history.
Last year came the biggest moment of her career, when she competed for the Ferns at the Olympics. At just 20 years old, she went home with a gold medal.
Talk about an overachiever!
She continued to bulldoze through 2024, rounding it out with winning Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year.
In 30 years of the awards’ existence, the only player to win it at a younger age was Jonah Lomu.
It sure has been a day for the Timaru native, the award announced after her and the Black Ferns Sevens’ took out another gold at the LA World Series.
Miller scored her 29th try of the season in the second minute of their final vs Australia.
From Timaru to the top of the world, Miller is just getting started!
