Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Black Ferns hold off late French rally to claim World Cup bronze
New Zealand secured the bronze medal at the Women’s Rugby World Cup with a thrilling 42-26 victory over France at Twickenham, surviving a spectacular late French fightback before a crowd exceeding 50,000 who arrived early for the afternoon’s showpiece final between England and Canada.
Key moments:
10′ – Pauline Bourdon Sansus dives over after Joanna Grisez and Marine Menager combine brilliantly, Carla Arbez converts from touchline (0-7)
14′ – Ruahei Demant crashes over under posts at audacious angle from attacking lineout, Renee Holmes converts (7-7)
32′ – Sylvia Brunt powers over from close range after sustained pressure, Renee Holmes converts (14-7)
37′ – Renee Holmes finishes brilliant give-and-go with Sylvia Brunt under posts, Renee Holmes converts (21-7)
39′ – Laura Bayfield barges over on counter-attack after Jorja Miller interception, Renee Holmes misses conversion (26-7)
46′ – Braxton Sorensen-McGee sprints 30 yards unopposed down right touchline, Renee Holmes misses conversion (31-7)
55′ – Renee Holmes kicks penalty from 37 metres (34-7)
60′ – Braxton Sorensen-McGee dives into corner after Stacey Waaka offload, Renee Holmes misses conversion (39-7)
62′ – Léa Champon steps defenders to score in corner after brilliant individual run, Lina Tuy converts from touchline (39-14)
66′ – Gabrielle Vernier crashes over under posts after Joanna Grisez slices through, Lina Tuy converts (39-21)
72′ – Emilie Boulard bursts clear on left wing and dots down between legs, Lina Tuy misses conversion (39-26)
80′ – Renee Holmes kicks penalty from distance (42-26)
The defending champions, still reeling from their semi-final capitulation against Canada, rediscovered their attacking edge with six scintillating tries in a free-flowing encounter that showcased the very best of women’s rugby. Yet France’s refusal to surrender, scoring three tries in ten second-half minutes, ensured a nervy finale to what had threatened to become a procession.
The match began as a scrappy affair, both sides visibly wounded from their semi-final disappointments and uncertain about committing fully to a fixture neither had wanted to contest. France initially appeared to have the upper hand, dominating possession and territory through the astute kicking game of their superstar scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus.
Breathless 🤯
An absolute thriller in London ends the way of New Zealand 🇳🇿#RWC2025 | #NZLvFRA pic.twitter.com/6iMw5YpmEI
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 27, 2025
The breakthrough arrived in the tenth minute with a score that epitomised France’s attacking philosophy. From a lineout on halfway, the ball was spread rapidly to the right touchline where Joanna Grisez exhibited devastating pace to beat her marker. Her perfectly-timed offload found Marine Menager, whose deft pass from the floor released Bourdon Sansus to sprint away unopposed. Carla Arbez’s magnificent touchline conversion made it 7-0.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Pauline Bourdon Sansus of France scores her team’s first try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Bronze Final match between New Zealand and France at Twickenham Stadium on September 27, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
New Zealand’s response was immediate and emphatic. Four minutes later, Ruahei Demant identified a gap in the French defensive line and crashed over under the posts at an audacious angle, benefiting from Sylvia Brunt’s clever inside ball. Renee Holmes’ straightforward conversion levelled the scores at 7-7.
The Black Ferns were struggling defensively, missing eleven tackles in the opening 23 minutes, yet France could not capitalise on their territorial superiority. The six-foot-one frame of Madoussou Fall proved devastating with repeated carries over the gainline, whilst Gabrielle Vernier’s powerful running repeatedly threatened the New Zealand line.
On 25 minutes, France appeared destined to extend their lead when New Zealand were penalised on their own five-metre line. However, the French pack produced a colossal scrum, driving the Black Ferns backwards and forcing Kaipo Olsen-Baker to knock on under immense pressure. The opportunity was squandered.
What followed proved decisive. In a devastating seven-minute spell either side of the half-hour mark, New Zealand scored three superbly-crafted tries to transform the contest. Brunt powered over from close range in the 32nd minute following sustained pressure, with Holmes converting to make it 14-7.
Five minutes later came arguably the try of the match. Jorja Miller, returning from injury and making an immediate impact with her dynamic ball-carrying and offloading, exhibited expert handling and footwork to find Brunt, who delivered a sublime offload to fullback Holmes. The 22-year-old finished unopposed under the posts and converted her own score to extend the lead to 21-7.
France had switched off completely. On the stroke of half-time, Miller intercepted a loose French pass and surged forward before offloading to Laura Bayfield, who bulldozed through the last line of defence to score her first Test try. Holmes’ conversion attempt drifted wide, but at 26-7, New Zealand were firmly in command and the match appeared almost one-way traffic in their direction.
The second half began with teenage sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee announcing herself emphatically. Receiving possession on the right touchline in the 46th minute, the tournament’s leading try-scorer sold a dummy and accelerated away from the cover defence with blistering pace, racing clear to score her tenth try of the competition. Holmes’ conversion attempt again missed the target, leaving the score at 31-7.
Holmes extended the advantage with a penalty from 37 metres in the 55th minute before Sorensen-McGee struck again on the hour mark. Stacey Waaka’s superb offload sent the 18-year-old winger clear, and she dived over in the corner for her eleventh World Cup try, surpassing all other players in the tournament. Holmes’ difficult conversion from the touchline fell short, leaving the score at 39-7.
The match appeared over as a contest, but France had other ideas. Léa Champon, one of the revelations of the tournament, sparked the revival in the 62nd minute with a moment of individual brilliance. The flanker received possession in midfield and stepped inside two defenders before stretching to ground the ball in the corner. Lina Tuy’s magnificent conversion from the touchline narrowed the gap to 39-14 and suddenly France sensed an opportunity.
Four minutes later, Gabrielle Vernier powered over under the posts following excellent approach work from Grisez, who had sliced through the New Zealand defence. Tuy’s conversion made it 39-21, and the French pack, driven forward by the powerful Teani Feleu, was beginning to dominate.
The momentum was entirely with Les Bleues. In the 72nd minute, Emilie Boulard produced a moment of magic on the left wing, bursting clear up the touchline before tumbling over with Katelyn Vaha’akolo attempting to hold her up. Boulard somehow managed to ground the ball between her legs for a remarkable score, her fifth try of the tournament. Tuy’s conversion attempt drifted wide, but at 39-26 with eight minutes remaining, an improbable comeback seemed feasible and New Zealand faced a genuinely nervy finale.
The Black Ferns, however, demonstrated the composure expected of serial world champions. They retained possession through multiple phases, drawing penalties as France’s discipline wavered under pressure. Holmes slotted a penalty in the 80th minute to seal a 42-26 victory and secure the bronze medal.
It was, however, a bittersweet success for the Black Ferns, the six-time world champions whose reign ended with their surprising semi-final defeat. The bronze medal represented an unwanted consolation, though fullback Renee Holmes spoke of the team’s pride afterwards. “That was for the wave of black in here and at home,” she 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.”
The match marked an emotional farewell for New Zealand legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. The iconic winger, who had come out of retirement specifically for this tournament, was in tears entering Twickenham and was wiping them away when substituted in the 56th minute. She departed to a standing ovation from the crowd, her face appearing repeatedly on the big screen as supporters acknowledged arguably the greatest player in Black Ferns history. Whilst her direct impact was limited to one huge tackle, her presence and legacy transcended statistics.
The performance represented a changing of the guard. Sorensen-McGee ends her debut World Cup as the tournament’s leading try-scorer with eleven tries, whilst Brunt and Holmes were brilliant throughout, combining devastating attacking play with improved tactical kicking. Olsen-Baker was excellent with powerful carries, Risi Pouri-Lane proved terrific at scrum-half, and Miller’s return from apparent hamstring injury was transformative, her breaks and offloads sparking New Zealand’s momentum.
“Thank you to the 50,000 in the crowd,” Holmes added afterwards, reflecting on the support the Black Ferns received despite the match being a curtain-raiser to the final between England and Canada, where 82,000 fans would later witness a world record attendance for a women’s rugby match.
Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting must rue Miller’s unavailability against Canada, though his own future remains uncertain after falling short of expectations just three years after their magical home World Cup triumph. New Zealand finish third for the first time since the inaugural tournament in Wales in 1991.
For France, bronze proved elusive once again. Their free-flowing, offloading rugby provided glimpses of what might have been had they maintained their first-half intensity throughout. The attacking exhibition from both sides, featuring ten tries and some breathtaking long-range scores, provided fitting entertainment for the swelling Twickenham crowd. Yet for both teams, the bronze medal play-off represented an unwanted fixture and an unsettling conclusion to campaigns that had promised so much more.
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