‘We’ve got nothing to lose’ – Ireland face Black Ferns in Pool C decider

Ireland and New Zealand have only met three times in the women’s game. Such a statement of fact jars, given the rugby pedigree of the two nations.

Sunday’s Pool C decider goes some way to filling the gap. Such is the lack of game time between them, Ireland, historically the underdog in this match-up, actually holds the advantage in terms of overall record: 2–1.

In 2014, New Zealand were shocked by Ireland at the World Cup. Ditto last year at WXV1 in Vancouver. In between, the Black Ferns earned a victory in a 2016 November international.

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

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

Despite the lack of familiarity in 15s, both sets of players do know each other reasonably well from the Sevens circuit. Plenty of athletes on both sides have progressed from the World Series to this World Cup.

Ireland back-row Brittany Hogan is one. “I had my first cap on the circuit, first World Series leg, against New Zealand,” she recalls.

“I played against the Black Ferns and came down to a scrum with Portia Woodman, Sarah Goss (now Hirini). Everyone was sitting in front of me, so that was… cool,” the last word accompanied by a knowing smile. A debutant going head-to-head with Woodman-Wickliffe? Good luck.

Scrum-half Emily Lane was part of the Irish squad at last year’s Olympics. As a more experienced Sevens athlete, she has plenty of memories of playing against the Black Ferns.

“We’ve seen Jorja Miller lighting up the place, it’s unreal,” says Lane. “I’ve played against her; she’s very tough.”

Hogan, who will likely run into Miller in some capacity as a fellow back-row on Sunday, also readily brings up the name of a Sevens convert who has starred in the opening rounds of this World Cup.

“In a world-class outfit, you’re going to have a class back five and Jorja Miller is a really good example of a hybrid athlete, like the sevens/fifteens,” says Hogan.

“She’s shone here on the world stage, and that’s where she belongs. She was unbelievable. Just really looking forward to having that challenge and having that personal challenge against her.”

It’s not just Miller that Ireland have come up against, and often suffered at the hands of on the Sevens scene. “Portia [Woodman-Wickliffe], Stacey Waaka, Risi Pouri-Lane, who’s at nine, I’ve played against her,” says Lane. “It’s nice to see people that you’ve played against and you know them.

“You could also say I’ve played against them and lost. But equally, you know them now, you know what kind of players they are.

“We know they want to play out of things. They like to keep the ball alive, they want to play, so trying to use that against them is how we’ll look to play this game.”

A regular question posed of the Irish squad this week is belief. Last year’s win in WXV1 was seen as a statement, a sign that this team can get back to competing with the world’s best after a difficult period ,which saw them miss the last World Cup. If it weren’t for that New Zealand win, would they have had the self-belief to make this World Cup and perform as they have?

“That’s a hard one to answer because we did and we are at this level,” says Hogan. “I suppose it kind of kick-started our belief behind the group, behind the girls, behind the coaching staff.

“It kick-started the IRFU putting loads more funding, loads more investment into us, everybody was on our train and on our wavelength then. And I think that just after that New Zealand game, like we knew that we could do it internally, but externally, I think that just put a rocket boost behind the team. So I’m not 100% sure, but we are here.”

The question on self-belief probably comes from a men’s rugby focus on Ireland’s mental block when it comes to playing the All Blacks. The Irish rugby public suffers from some sort of mental hang-up when they see a black jersey. Does having the upper hand in 15s take away that fear factor?

“I suppose that kind of fear factor wasn’t really there,” says Hogan. “We were more underdogs, we kind of had that, well, we’ve got nothing to lose kind of factor.

“But now we’ve taken away the element of surprise. So now we just have to work that little bit harder, and those one percenters in the game mean a little bit more.”

Hogan said that the win in Vancouver was the hardest game of her life. It only goes up a level now that the rematch is at a World Cup.

“We all are well aware that we’re going to have to go to the hole, go to the well at the weekend,” she says. “We are fully prepared to have a big shift.”