Georgia Ponsonby: 'South Africa was perfect prep for this semifinal'

Hooker Georgia Ponsonby is one of the 13 survivors from the Black Ferns’ epic and perhaps fortuitous 2022 Rugby World Cup semi-final win against France.

Trailing 10-0 and 17-10, the Black Ferns surged ahead to take a 25-17 lead. Then, at 25-24, French fly-half Caroline Drouin had a chance to win the match with a penalty kick.

“The last few minutes are all I remember, even though I was on the bench,” Ponsonby said with a laugh.

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

“Everyone in the world thought that kick was going over. When it missed, we thought, ‘Oh my gosh, what do we do next?’

“It was such a close match, and so many things went wrong. Muzz (prop Krystal Murray) kicked the ball. ‘What are you doing?’ The French eight (Romane Menager) scored two tries. It was an incredible feeling when we actually won. It gave us so much confidence to say we have a really good chance of winning this competition.”

The Black Ferns will need similar resilience and perhaps a touch of fortune to overcome Canada in their Rugby World Cup semifinal at Ashton Gate in Bristol on Friday night.

Since Canada defeated France 29-20 in their last match of WXV 1 on Nov. 4, 2023, they have lost only once in 17 internationals, a narrow defeat to England in the WXV 1 2024 final in Vancouver.

In May 2024, Canada beat the Black Ferns for the first time in 17 encounters, winning 22-19 in Christchurch. Despite trailing 14-3, Canada showed remarkable fortitude, making 247 tackles compared to New Zealand’s 101. Winger Fancy Bermudez scored two tries, while Sophie de Goede contributed 27 tackles.

In May 2025, an 83rd-minute try from Sylvia Brunt salvaged a 27-27 draw. The score progression underlined the contest’s intensity: New Zealand led 7-0, Canada levelled at 7-7, and the game continued 12-7, 12-12, 19-12, 19-17, 19-22, 22-22, 22-27, and finally 27-27.

“With Canada, I wouldn’t put numbers on individuals. They’re a clinical team, hard workers who all do their roles well,” Ponsonby said.

“The lineout, rolling maul, and special plays around that are a big part of their game. If we can be better disciplined, discipline has let us down a bit in the tournament; we can take away one of their major threats.”

The Black Ferns have struggled at times with lineouts in this World Cup. Japan scored two tries from that platform in Exeter, and in the quarterfinal, South Africa employed a 15-woman lineout, puzzling New Zealand with their daring forward-oriented approach. The match was tied 10-10 at halftime, and the Black Ferns made 95 of the first 98 tackles.

“We went over the ‘what ifs’ this week. Now the backs know what to do if the opposition comes over,” Ponsonby said.

“How do you defend it? Hit harder than you usually do.

“I feel like South Africa was really good preparation for this semifinal. We were tested physically, which we expect to be against Canada. It’s important to have hard matches so you can see where the cracks are and where you need to improve.”

At the 2022 Rugby World Cup, the Black Ferns excelled at lineouts, winning 46 of 53 on their own throws. In the 34-31 final win against England at Eden Park, they were flawless in that area and also developed a potent rolling maul, with Ponsonby scoring a try.

“Our new coaching staff moved away from strict structures to a more free-running, intuitive style of rugby. To achieve this, our fitness levels had to improve, and we needed to execute the basics better,” Ponsonby said.

“We had more game scenarios where we were put under pressure and set targets for high metrics we wanted to hit during tests. We could see those metrics with GPS data at training, so we knew the level we needed to reach in the game itself. That was really useful—something we’d never had access to before.”

Ponsonby has consistently performed at a high level in her 35-Test career. She is the Black Ferns’ first-choice hooker and was nominated for Black Ferns Player of the Year in 2024.

She played seven of eight Tests last year, scoring tries in both 60-point wins against Australia. In the 62-0 victory in Brisbane, the lineout was perfect at 13 of 13. In WXV 1, she scored in the 49-31 loss to England and was Player of the Match in the 39-14 win over France, where she completed a 15 of 15 lineout, made 11 carries, nine tackles, and won a turnover.

She has forged a formidable partnership with locks Maia Ross (36 Tests) and Alana Bremner (33 Tests).

“We’re lucky to have such incredible locks in our squad. Our lineouts are in safe hands,” Ponsonby said.

“I feel like Maia and Alana have reached a point where they can read each other’s minds. Maia is physically awesome, and Alana’s work rate is second to none.”

Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant will become only the third player, after Kendra Cocksedge and Fiao’o Fa’amausili, to play 50 Tests for New Zealand in the semifinal. Ponsonby paid tribute to the 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year, affectionately known as Lu.

“Words don’t do Lu justice. She is the best leader I’ve ever encountered in any aspect of life—so calm, kind, and trustworthy. She communicates clearly and directly, providing solutions, and if those solutions don’t exist, she’ll go and find them.

“Lu is an incredibly smart rugby player, quick to identify and capitalise on space. She is hardworking and dedicated. I feel very safe when Lu is with me.”