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'Part of our vision was wanting to inspire the nation and I think that's what we've done'
The Black Ferns’ epic World Cup run captured the imagination and hearts of a nation in a way that many didn’t see coming – including champion captain Ruahei Demant and coach Wayne Smith.
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New Zealand began their World Cup title defence on home soil against rivals Australia at Eden Park. That Test alone was a momentous occasion for the team, country and the sport as rugby fans packed the stands in their thousands.
While the Black Ferns got off to a disastrous start against the Wallaroos, going behind 17-nil inside half-an-hour, the sheer courage, tenacity and passion that the team show gripped the nation.
The Black Ferns went on to score 209 points during their first four matches, before running out to a sold-out Eden Park to face France in a blockbuster semi-final.
After winning that thrilling matchup by just one-point, reminiscent of the All Blacks’ triumph over Les Bleus more than a decade earlier, the unwavering support for this team went up another gear yesterday.
New Zealand’s home of rugby had sold out for the second week in a row, as a record-breaking 42,579 supports attended the final against England.
It was undoubtedly an incredible moment for the Black Ferns and flyhalf Demant, who admitted after the three-point win that she was “worried” when New Zealand were named as the hosts.
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“The level of support that we’ve received from our country has been really overwhelming and as players none of us really expected this,” Demant told reporters after the World Cup final.
“It’s still quite surreal to turn up to Eden Park, we’ve been here three times now, and it’s been sold-out two times.
“To walk out of the tunnel and you can’t even think because it’s so loud, the crowd is so loud.
“I never ever would’ve thought when they announced that the Rugby World Cup was here in New Zealand that we would get this level of fan engagement because we’re not really that type of country.
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“In the past when we’ve had the opportunity to travel abroad and play countries like England and France in their home countries, their fans are next level.
“I was quite worried when they announced that we had a home World Cup, but the way the country’s turned out, you couldn’t have scripted it.
“As a team we spoke about, part of our vision was wanting to inspire the nation and I think that’s what we’ve done and it’s still quite funny saying that because we’ve achieve it and it’s quite a hard thing to do.”
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? Hannah Peters via/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/4JZWw2L3Jg
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 12, 2022
World No. 1 England raced out to a commanding 14-nil lead inside 15-mintues after tries to Ellie Kildunne and Amy Cokayne.
But disaster struck for the World Cup favourites, who were on a 30-Test unbeaten run, as Lydia Thompson was sent off in the 17th-minute for a head clash.
England were down to 14-players, and would have to overcome a stadium of five million if they were to win their first women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014.
While they held on to lead at half-time, the Black Ferns eventually took the lead through a try to Krystal Murray early the second half.
But England’s rampaging rolling maul continued to wreak havoc, with hooker Cockayne crossing for a hat-trick, but the Black Ferns ultimately stood up when they needed to most.
Eden Park was sent into a wild frenzy as the full-time whistle was blown, and the Black Ferns had completed an incredible upset win over the Red Roses.
“I never thought in 100 years you’d be standing out in the middle of Eden Park and 40,000 people would be chanting Black Ferns. Something ignited this country around women’s rugby and we’ve got to make it count,” coach Wayne Smith said.
“We’ve got to make it count with seven years olds, eight-year-olds, nine-year-olds, 10-year-olds who all play ripper but when they go to High School there’s no team or no coach, and they’ll go play other sports.
“That was (the) most phenomenal rugby moment of my life standing out there and hearing that crowd chanting the names of these girls, it was phenomenal.”
History was made at Eden Park on Saturday but with a stadium of five million supporting this team, and the growth of women’s rugby as well, the sky really is the limit for the Black Ferns and generations to come.
Comments on RugbyPass
Firstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
99 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
99 Go to commentsHo hum.
99 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
99 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
99 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
99 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
99 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
99 Go to commentsBen, nobody gets fooled anymore by selective and biased data to support an hypothesis. Games are decided on such small margins these days that you win some and lose some, and dominance is a thing of the rugby past. Look at the RWC circle of fortune…. Ireland beats SA who beat France who beat NZ who beat Ireland. And so it goes on. Match officials help to eliminate real indiscretions. If they had been with us years before, no doubt results would have been different. Remember Andy Haden’s dive from a lineout in 1978 for which a match-wining penalty was awarded? Wales should have beaten the ABs that day. They took the loss like the gentlemen they were.
99 Go to commentsWith all the analysis and how good the all blacks were.The fundamental mistake with the ABs is that this is a test match and not an exhibition.There is no better team(country) in world rugby than the Boks that knows how to win a test match(we are post masters at this).We know our rules, we have the discipline, we tackle like beasts, we take our points and we never give up.I now have educated the ABs supporters(at least say thank you).Please stop “bitching” , accept what the outcome is and move along swiftly.
99 Go to commentsAnd they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
99 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
99 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
3 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
99 Go to comments