The Women’s Rugby World Cup has reached its decisive stage, and while England’s Red Roses continue their remarkable winning run, a familiar and formidable opponent waits on the horizon: New Zealand’s Black Ferns.
The defending champions showed their ruthless edge in the quarter-finals. Locked 10-10 with South Africa at half-time, the Black Ferns returned from the break with ferocious intent, running in three tries within seven minutes. Their ability to flick the switch from being contained to completely dominant underlines why they remain the biggest obstacle between England and the trophy.
England’s Red Roses boast one of the greatest streaks in modern sport: back-to-back stretches of 30 consecutive victories, interrupted by only a single defeat in six years. Yet that one loss was the most painful of all—the 2022 World Cup final, when New Zealand edged them by three points in front of a packed Eden Park. The Red Roses would surely trade dozens of those wins for redemption in the game that mattered most.
History is also stacked against England. New Zealand have lifted the World Cup six times from nine editions and have never lost a knockout match since the inaugural tournament in 1991. Every time they have met England in the elimination rounds, the Black Ferns have prevailed.
One factor that distorts recent results is New Zealand’s juggling of talent between Rugby XVs and Sevens. Several of their current stars, including Stacey Waaka and Jorja Miller, were tied up on the Sevens circuit when England managed rare back-to-back wins over them last year. With the squad now fully focused, the Black Ferns look a different proposition.
South Africa exposed some cracks in the quarter-final, particularly through a powerful maul and inventive set-piece plays. They kept the game tight, disrupted New Zealand’s rhythm, and even starved them of broken-field opportunities by refusing to return kicks. For 40 minutes, the Black Ferns looked uncomfortable. But once the game loosened, their pace, precision, and relentless pressure proved decisive.
England and Canada will have taken notes from South Africa’s brave effort, but the sense remains that New Zealand’s eyes are fixed firmly on a potential showdown with the Red Roses. The Red Roses may have the rankings, the records, and the form, but until they beat the Black Ferns on the World Cup stage, the title of “best in the world” still rests firmly in New Zealand hands.
