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Braxton Sorensen-McGee reflects on Rugby World Cup semi-final loss
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Waaka: ‘I don’t feel like Canada have played the best of the Black Ferns’
By Finn Morton reporting from Bristol
Two-time Rugby World Cup winner Stacey Waaka has warned Canada that they haven’t played “the best of the Black Ferns yet” ahead of this weekend’s semi-final in Bristol, with the winner set to face either England or France in the final.
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Canada defeated the Black Ferns in New Zealand for the first time during the 2024 Pacific Four Series, and the Maple Leafs came incredibly close to repeating those heroics in Christchurch four months ago, only for a late try to see the hosts steal a 27-all draw.
79 per cent of fans on RugbyPass’ Instagram broadcast channel believe the New Zealanders will win this weekend’s showdown at Ashton Gate, but the Canadians are supremely confident themselves after beating Australia in the quarter-finals.
With that 46-5 win, the Canadians have maintained their unbeaten run in 2025, which included wins over Australia and the USA in Pac Four. While New Zealand went on to win the Pac Four title, almost nothing could split the two heavyweight sides during that tournament.
Waaka didn’t play that Test, and neither did the likes of Jorja Miller or Risi Pouri-Lane. 18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee has since taken the World Cup by storm, with the Black Ferns showing signs of change and improvement – and “there’s a lot more to come.”
“After reflecting from the South Africa game, it gave us a bit of confidence in terms of our physicality within the forwards and knowing that they have a lot of superpowers that they can bring to this team,” Waaka told reporters in Bristol.
“Coming up against Canada, they’re also a very physical side and we obviously drew to them earlier in the year and lost to them last year so there’s a little bit of pressure but it’s exciting because I don’t feel like Canada have played the best of the Black Ferns yet and there’s a lot more to come this weekend.”
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Waaka lined up alongside Theresa Setefano in the midfield last weekend, three years after the pair starred for the Black Ferns during their run to World Cup glory on New Zealand soil – starting in the centres against England in the final.
Kennedy Tukuafu and Ruhai Demant also bring experience, along with the likes of Maia Roos, Georgia Ponsonby and Alana Bremner in the forwards. But then there’s “a good mix of our youth” with Sorensen-McGee and Miller among the tournament-wide standouts from the pool stage.
There’s players like Miller and Pouri-Lane who have won an Olympic gold medal, others who helped the Black Ferns win the World Cup in 2022, and then an exclusive club featuring Waaka, Setefano and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe who have done both multiple times.
“There’s a good mix of our youth and experienced players. A lot of pressure at stake but acknowledging it, just being okay with it,” Waaka said.
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“There’s a lot of people watching, a lot of outside noise but as long as we stay in our control, focus on ourselves and what we can do – mainly about the girls focusing on their own talents and abilities instead of worrying too much around other players and other people.
“You’re here for a reason, you’ve been picked for a reason. Yeah you might be young and inexperienced but you’ve got the goods and we’re here at a World Cup so you have to kind of stand up to that.
“It’s just telling the girls, embrace that noise, carry on, truck on, trust the game plan and everything will work out.”
