'Cruelly exposed': Black Ferns humbling 'all felt very inevitable'

The Black Ferns’ reign as world champions came to a stunning halt in Bristol as Canada outplayed them in every department to book a place in the Rugby World Cup final. And while the result itself was historic, the reaction online was telling.

Indeed, the loss bookended a sobering six days for New Zealand rugby.

Just a week earlier, the All Blacks suffered a record thrashing at the hands of South Africa in the Rugby Championship, prompting questions about the health of both national programmes. For the Black Ferns, the defeat marked the end of an era of dominance at Rugby World Cups that stretched for 18 games.

Radio host Martin Devlin pulled no punches, reminding followers of his mid-season warnings.

“It’s in our DNA,” the Black Ferns described of their frenetic way-too-risky style of play after losing to Canada earlier this season. I did warn against this at the time. Now they’ve been cruelly exposed & humbled when it matters most. Sadly it all felt very inevitable.”

The debate quickly broadened beyond tactics. Rugby writer Jamie Wall pointed to the financial disparity between the two semi-finalists, painting a picture of a David versus Goliath battle in terms of relative warchests.

“The Black Ferns, a team that’s had millions invested in them for the last cycle, just got knocked out by Canadian side that GoFundMe-ed their way to [the] World Cup.”

UK journalist Stephen Jones echoed the theme, also hailing Canada’s achievement on minimal resources:

“How to reach the World Cup final on a shoestring. Crowdfunded. Magnificent from Canada, they will be dangerous in the final. Black Ferns demolished.”

Others preferred to dwell less on New Zealand’s failings and more on the scale of Canada’s display. One widely shared post summed it up:

“This was the greatest performance by a Canadian XVs rugby team. The Black Ferns were outplayed, outskilled, and outmatched today. At no point did Canada look to be on the backfoot. Historical.”

The Black Ferns now turn their focus to next Saturday’s bronze medal match.

Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu admitted she was “gutted” after the semi-final defeat, while director of performance Allan Bunting reflected: “Sport is pretty tough sometimes. It can break your heart. We get another opportunity, which is a good thing, to play for our country.”