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Black Ferns end World Cup on a high: Four takeaways from New Zealand v France
By Finn Morton at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
New Zealand have secured a third-place finish at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, beating France 42-26 at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
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France struck first, with scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus crossing for the opener about 10 minutes into the contest.
Les Bleues had been the better team up until that point, but the Black Ferns ran away with a big lead before the half-time break.
Ruahei Demant, Sylvia Brunt, Renee Holmes and Laura Bayfield scored a try each as the Black Ferns took a 26-7 advantage into the sheds.
In the second half, Braxton Sorensen-McGee dove over for a double – extending her tally to 11 tries as this World Cup. While France scored the next two tries, New Zealand did enough to hang on for the win.
Changing of the guard
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is the ‘GOAT’ in women’s rugby.
That’s an opinion that many share. Woodman-Wickliffe was recognised by RugbyPass ahead of the Rugby World Cup as the top-ranked player in the women’s game, having scored seven tries in a single Test against the USA earlier this year.
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Woodman-Wickliffe is a two-time 15s World Cup winner and a dual Olympic gold medallist in rugby sevens. Teammate Katelyn Vahaakolo hit the nail on the head during a press conference this week, saying “Portia was my first favourite women’s player.”
While Woodman-Wickliffe’s future with the Black Ferns remains a bit uncertain, after the winger came out of international retirement 158 days ago to play at this World Cup, the future of this New Zealand side is in safe hands either way.
At just 18, Braxton Sorensen-McGee has enjoyed a sensational rookie campaign with the Black Ferns. Sorensen-McGee is one of three nominees for World Rugby’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, having scored nine tries in five matches ahead of the Bronze Final.
Woodman-Wickliffe registered a game-high 10 carries by half-time, but Sorensen-McGee was one of the standouts during the second term. The teenager crossed for tries number 10 and 11 during the Bronze Final, just two short of Woodman-Wickliffe’s all-time World Cup record.
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Sorensen-McGee threw a dummy before beating another defender with sheer pace to score the team’s fifth try. In truth, the teenager has been scoring tries like this all season, dating back to a double on debut against the Wallaroos in Newcastle.
Whether or not Woodman-Wickliffe retires is not the point here. Woodman-Wickliffe’s legacy as an all-time great is well and truly cemented, but the Black Ferns have another superstar in their squad – a rising star who’s already shining bright.
Allez Les Bleues
France should be remembered as the most entertaining side from this Rugby World Cup. Their ‘French flair’ was on full show throughout the tournament, which included their valiant performance against the New Zealanders in the Bronze Final.
Les Bleues won an early scrum penalty before making their way up the field. Scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus scored the first try of the match in the 10th minute, and that was a sign of things to come for the lively No. 9, who was impactful yet again.
Gabrielle Vernier won a pilfer penalty a few minutes later, while Lea Champon also stood out as one of the best players on the ground. Champon would go on to score another of France’s four tries, with Gabrielle Vernier and Emilie Boulard diving over for the others.
Madoussou Fall Raclot made yet another case for ‘Team of the Tournament’ selection. The 6’1 lock made an impressive break up the field during the first half, which so nearly set-up Bourdon Sansus for what would’ve been a game-changing five-pointer
If you want a summary of this match, the French forwards made their mark up, which allowed the backline to throw the ball around with freedom. Some of the tries scored in this match were utterly incredible.
The fact that this French side finished the World Cup in fourth shows how far the women’s game has come. Scotland and Australia also missed out on the semi-finals, showing there’s very real depth and competitiveness within the international game.
Jorja Miller is a seriously good rugby player
This was only Jorja Miller’s seventh Test for the Black Ferns.
That’s actually quite hard to believe.
Miller has been nominated for World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year in partnership with HSBC, having starred for New Zealand in six previous appearances. It started with a headline-grabbing debut against the USA in Pac Four and carried through to the World Cup.
It was well reported last week but Miller didn’t feature in last week’s semi-final. Miller was ruled out of the highly anticipated clash, and while Kennedy Tukuafu and Layla Sae stepped up in place of Miller, the openside flanker is one of the best in the game.
To point out the obvious, the Black Ferns are a better team will Miller in their side. In Saturday’s match against France, Miller won a pilfer penalty in the ninth minute and secured another turnover early in the second half.
Miller was especially impactful around the breakdown, securing a game-high turnovers, but the 21-year-old also made a difference in attack and defence. While it wasn’t the World Cup Final that New Zealand wanted to be in, Miller’s performance proved yet again that she’s a generational talent.
New Zealanders should be proud of the Black Ferns
It’s hard to describe what it felt like sitting in the press conference room about 30 minutes after New Zealand’s 34-19 loss to Canada. Director of Performance Allan Bunting and co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu were gutted, and that gut-wrenching hurt was palpable.
Bunting spoke with reporters at that presser before walking through the mixed zone shortly after, still wearing the pain of defeat on his face. In an interview with RugbyPass, the coach summed up the loss with a heartbreaking summary: “You feel like you sort of let your country down.”
New Zealand is a proud rugby nation, with those supporting both the Black Ferns and All Blacks riding every high and low along with their sporting heroes. While the Black Ferns came to terms with the defeat, so too did rugby-mad fans at home in Aotearoa.
Assistant coach Steve Jackson echoed Bunting’s comments a few days later, saying the Black Ferns had “let people down” before insisting the team still had a job to do at this World Cup. With a Bronze Final at Allianz Stadium up next, they had a chance to bounce back.
France struck first through lively scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus but the Black Ferns scored the other four tries going into half-time. Ruahei Demant, Sylvia Brunt, Renne Holmes and Laura Bayfield all crossed for five-pointer each – some particularly impressive tries, too.
New Zealand went on to claim third at this World Cup, holding on for the win. While it wasn’t the result the Black Ferns wanted coming into this tournament, there’s absolutely no doubt a rugby-mad nation full of New Zealanders is proud of this team.
Eight days on from a painful semi-final exit, the Black Ferns finished their World Cup with a win. With the likes of Demant and Jorja Miller leading the way, this team showcased resilience and passion – the very traits New Zealanders love to support.
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