New Zealand women march on in Women’s World Cup

Ireland 0, New Zealand 40

IRELAND, already qualified for the quarter finals of the 2025 Women’s World Cup, were well and truly beaten today by a hungry and well drilled New Zealand The Irish will now meet France in the quarter final with New Zealand facing South Africa, Canada playing Australia and England playing Scotland next week-end.

To their credit, the Irish girls fought to the end, their pack frustrated when they got within inches of the try line on a number of occasions, but there are injury worries that could see some key players out for the quarter final. Braxton Sorensen-McGee was once again star of the show with another hatrick of tries while Maia Joseph also got on the scoreboard. A feature of the game was the place-kicking of out-half Ruahei Deman. It was an exhibition of accuracy and the envy of many rugby players in the number ten shirt. Her only mishap was when she failed to beat the clock with a conversion.

 Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons, Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Dannah O’Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Ellena Perry, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (co-capt); Grace Moore, Edel McMahon (co-capt), Brittany Hogan.
Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Niamh O’Dowd, Sadhbh McGrath, Eimear Corr-Fallon, Claire Boles, Emily Lane, Nancy McGillivray, Anna McGann.
New Zealand: Renee Holmes; Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Stacey Waaka, Sylvia Brunt, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe; Ruahei Demant (co-capt), Risi Pouri-Lane; Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale; Maia Roos, Alana Bremner; Layla Sae, Jorja Miller, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u.
Replacements: Vici-Rose Green, Kate Henwood, Amy Rule, Laura Bayfield, Kennedy Tukuafu (co-capt), Maia Joseph, Theresa Setefano, Ayesha Leti-I’iga.

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