Top 5 players of 2025: Black Ferns

How to sum up the Black Ferns’ 2025?

The 2022 World Cup champions arrived in England for the 2025 Rugby World Cup having won the 2025 Pacific Four Series on points difference and brimming with confidence having unearthed some formidable young talent, with world class sevens transfers and RugbyPass’ Top 50 Women’s Players winner Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in their midst.

Some stunning performances inevitably ensued, with a barn-storming run to the quarter-finals, producing a stunning reality check for the Irish on the way in their final pool match, however, the ship began to steer off course even in the win against the Springbok Women, going into half-time 10-10 only to pull away in the second half to avoid a unforgettable upset.

However, the writing was on the wall as they entered the semi-final stage against formidable Canada, as the women in red produced a performance and result for the ages, knocking the Black Ferns out of the tournament unceremoniously with a dominant 34-19 win in Bristol.

But being the Black Ferns, they rallied and came back to produce an impressive display against France in the bronze medal match.

As we approach the end of 2025, here are New Zealand’s top 5 players of the year:

Jorja Miller (back row)
Any questions over Jorja Miller’s ability to translate her HSBC Women’s Sevens Player of the Year form to the 15-aside game were dispatched mere minutes into her Test debut.

With driving defence, dancing line breaks, and deft offloads, the rookie left little doubt she would be one of the premier talents at the 2025 Rugby World Cup. Once at the tournament, the Olympic gold medalist made every post a winner, earning herself a spot in the RugbyPass Team of the Tournament and nominations for World Rugby Women’s 15s Player and Breakthrough Player of the Year awards.

The accolades are endless, and so too are the plaudits. An injury-enforced absence in New Zealand’s semi-final defeat to Canada left many Kiwi fans thinking ‘what-if’, but at just 21 years of age, there’ll be plenty more of Miller to be seen in the World Cups and Olympics to come.

Kaipo Olsen-Baker (number eight)
Every World Cup contender needs a wrecking ball number eight, and Kaipo Olsen-Baker has been well up to the task for the Black Ferns from the moment she made her 2022 debut.

A scary-looking injury in New Zealand’s opening match of the World Cup had fans fearing the worst, but she made a fierce return with a 26-tackle, two-try showing in the quarter-final.

The Black Ferns may have emerged from the semi-final on the wrong side of the scoreboard, but Olsen-Baker’s gargantuan workload of 34 carries (twice that of any other Black Fern) for 150 metres remains an otherworldly and stoic effort.

Poised to be a leading figure in the New Zealand set-up for years to come, Olsen-Baker is sure to be a household name synonymous with abrasive physicality.

Ruahei Demant (centre)
New Zealand’s co-captain, seemingly both in the Black Ferns context and beyond, Demant’s game-driving is second-to-none. A true student of the game, the 30-year-old embodies Test-match temperament and world-champion experience.

Demant was the most capped player in the Black Ferns’ Rugby World Cup squad, and has always appeared built for the responsibility that comes with that status.

Some of the less glamorous strengths of Demant’s game include ruck effectiveness, discipline, and pass accuracy. World Cups have an unparalleled ability to expose weaknesses in one’s game, and having a 12 (or sometimes 10) as well-rounded and reliable as Demant is truly an invaluable asset for the Kiwis.

Braxton Sorensen-McGee (full back)
Do rookie seasons get any more impressive than the campaign Braxton Sorensen-McGee put together in 2025? She made her Blues debut at fullback in week one of Super Rugby Aupiki, and as the lights got brighter, the highlights got more spectacular.

Having taken the play-offs by storm and claimed not just the Super Rugby Aupiki title, but the inaugural Super Rugby Champions Final title, a Black Ferns debut in the Pacific Four Series was all but certain.

Again named to debut in the starting side, two tries in a win over the Wallaroos confirmed the kid was special. By the time August arrived, Sorensen-McGee was one of the most anticipated talents entering the World Cup, and yet again, she did anything but disappoint.

The tournament was a try-fest for the youngster, earning her World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award and Black Ferns Player of the Year honours. All at the age of just 18. Incredible.

Georgia Ponsonby (hooker)
New Zealand has a proud history with mobile hookers, and that legacy is alive and well with Georgia Ponsonby. Having played number eight for three Farah Palmer Cup seasons before switching to the front row, Ponsonby brings a loose forward skill set and carry game to the table for the world number three side, often hanging out in the wide channels where blindside or openside flankers are usually found.

Under the brightest of lights, the Kiwi scrum slipped up just once in the entire Rugby World Cup, while the lineout operated at 88 per cent.

Ponsonby was strong and accurate in her core roles, while frequently making double-digit tackles. Her 21 tackles against Canada in the semi-final were a team high, and she emerged from the contest without having missed a single one of her efforts.