New Zealand's full back Renee Holmes (R) celebrates scoring a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place match against France, 2025. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP
The Black Ferns won the bronze play-off at the Women's Rugby World Cup, surviving a late French surge to triumph 42-26 in front of more than 50,000 fans at Twickenham in the curtain-raiser to the final between England and Canada.
It was, however, a bittersweet success for New Zealand, the defending champions and six-times winners who were surprisingly beaten by Canada in the semi-finals.
It was their fifth successive World Cup victory over France, the previous four coming in semi-finals.
France, beaten by England in the semis last weekend, had been seeking a third-placed finish for a remarkable eighth time, having never reached the final.
France went ahead after 10 minutes when scrumhalf Pauline Bourdon Sansus escaped down the right but New Zealand hit back almost immediately when Ruahei Demant slipped through a tackle to score under the posts.
The Black Ferns started to get a grip on the game and forged clear with three tries in the last eight minutes of the half as their slick handling repeatedly cut through the French defence.
The first was finished by 21-year-old centre Silvia Brunt before a fabulous second, with four players whipping passes back and forth to send Renee Holmes over. Jorja Miller then launched a counter-attack from deep in her own half that Laura Bayfield finished off.
With Holmes landing three conversions, New Zealand looked home and hosed at the break as they led 26-7.
Their 18-year-old winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee stretched that lead with two tries are the start of the half, taking her tournament tally to 11, as New Zealand looked in total control.
France though, energised by their replacements and blasting through tackles with great spirit, roared back with three tries in 10 minutes by Lea Champon, Gaby Vernier and Emile Boulard to make it 39-26 with 10 minutes remaining.
New Zealand, however, managed to close the game down and finished it off with a penalty by fullback and player of the match Holmes.
Though not the match they wanted to be in, they were proud winners and had great backing in the crowd, who had turned out in impressive numbers ahead of the main event.
"That was for the wave of black in here and at home," Holmes said. "I'm proud of this country, we did it girls and I'm so proud of them.
"It means everything, it shows a lot. And that's what this team means. Thank you to the 50,000 in the crowd."
-Reuters
