New Zealand swept the men and women’s titles at the Rugby World Cup Sevens on Sunday, mixing superior tactical nous with hard-nosed defence and fleet-footed attack.

Gordon Tietjens’ All Blacks team have dominated the IRB World Series Sevens, winning 11 of the 14 men’s titles on offer, but last won the World Cup in 2001.

However, they put England to the sword in the final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, running in five tries to none as they took advantage of the tactically poor English kicking game in wet, muddy conditions.

Tim Mikkelson (2), Gillies Kaka, veteran playmaker Tomasi Cama and replacement Waisake Naholo all crossed the whitewash, Cama bagging three conversions and Kaka a fourth.

England were underpowered in the face of an aggressive All Black team happy to slow the game down and play for territorial advantage.

Ben Ryan’s team were pushed into resorting to a deep kicking game that played exactly into New Zealand hands. Rarely for the abbreviated game, there was a full minute of aerial ping-pong, which drew boos and jeers from the crowd.

The Kiwi women’s team had earlier beaten Canada 29-12 and the results mean that New Zealand are now world champions in rugby 7s and 15s in both sexes.

The All Blacks scrapped past Fiji 17-0 in the semi-final, where play was held up for an hour because of a thunder storm over the Luzhniki Stadium.

While the claps of thunder and bolts of lightning subsided, the rain did not, continuing to teem through the whole finals program.

England beat Kenya 12-5 in the second semi-final, played in similarly atrocious conditions, a try-saving tackle from Dan Norton the difference in a game also dominated by kicking.

The All Blacks had dispatched Wales, unlikely outsiders who clinched victory in Dubai four years ago against odds of 80/1, in the quarter-finals.

The Australian men’s side finished equal fifth.

In the women’s competition, New Zealand outplayed Canada in the Cup final, defending champions Australia having paid the price for an injury to key playmaker Tiana Penitani in suffering a shock 14-10 defeat by Spain in the quarter-final.

The Australian women went on to win the plate final.

The All Blacks won the major title 29-12 thanks to tries from Portia Woodman (2), Kelly Brazier, Honey Hireme and Kayla McAlister, Canada responding through Ghislaine Landry and Arielle Dubissette-Borrice.