Adam Julian for LockerRoom
When the Black Ferns kick off their Rugby World Cup defence in August, 16 players from the 2022 campaign will be on board.
Included in the squad are inspirational co-captains Kennedy Tukuafu and Ruahei Demant, as well as Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who is the leading try scorer in World Cup history (for both male and female players). Woodman has scored 10 tries in her past two test matches since coming out of retirement earlier this year.
Jorja Miller, the winner of the Kel Tremain Memorial Medal, headlines the list of World Cup first-timers alongside 2024 Black Ferns Player of the Year Kaipo Olsen-Baker, who, but for injury, would likely have been selected in 2022. All three halfbacks are set to experience their first World Cups, with Black Ferns Sevens star Risaleaana Pouri-Lane joining Iritana Hohaia and Maia Joseph as contenders for the starting position.
Hooker is another position with limited experience, with Atlanta Lolohea and Vici-Rose Green serving as backups to Georgia Ponsonby, who is the best in her position by a country mile. There are no test debutants in the squad.
Since May 2024, Hannah King has had numerous opportunities to establish herself, having played in 10 tests. She started as first five-eighths for most of 2024 and was even nominated for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year. However, in 2025, Ruahei Demant returned to the No 10 jersey, and King found herself mostly coming off the bench. Recently, for the Australian test in Wellington, King was dropped from the bench in favour of 35-year-old Kelly Brazier, who had not played any international matches since 2021 and is better known as a second five-eighths.
At just 21 years old, King’s career is still in its early stages, and the next World Cup in Australia in 2029 could be her opportunity to shine. However, it would be disappointing for her that all the investment didn’t yield a World Cup spot. Might she reconsider her rugby future? The Women’s National Rugby League, or a spell in England, could be desirable.
The least experienced player on the team is Laura Bayfield, who, after only 25 minutes against Australia, is boarding the plane to England.
Bayfield, the top tackler in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) last year, comes from a military background and covers lock or loose forward. Bayfield made her debut for Canterbury in the 2023 FPC and has played 16 games for her province, achieving 11 victories and scoring three tries.
Black Ferns director of rugby Alan Bunting has had his eye on the Cantabrian for some time, remarking: “Laura was a standout throughout Super Rugby Aupiki this year and has put in the work. She topped all stats for the Black Ferns XV in Whangārei and deserves her debut. It’s a proud moment for Laura and her whānau.”
Bayfield’s selection likely comes at the expense of Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu, who was not only very impressive in her eight tests but also holds two Super Rugby Aupiki titles with the Blues and a 2023 FPC Premiership title with Auckland, making her a domestically elite player.
Vaipulu is physically imposing, an explosive athlete from a volleyball background. Bayfield is more in the workhorse category, as is Chelsea Bremner, who played all 12 tests in 2022, but has struggled to hit those heights since.
Was Vaipulu covering the flanks considered? Bayfield, with less experience and silverware, has made a rapid ascent.
Social media went into meltdown when it was announced that Ruby Tui wouldn’t be heading to England. However, this decision isn’t surprising given the Black Ferns are stacked when it comes to wingers. Frankly, it would have been a scandal to exclude Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Katelyn Vahaakolo, or Ayesha Leti-I’iga from the team.
When Bunting was asked about the possibility of Tui being recalled, he replied, “The door’s not closed, but performances matter.”
Despite scoring two tries and delivering a high-energy performance in a tough trial match, and a try in the Black Ferns’ 37-12 victory over Australia, Tui’s efforts weren’t enough to regain her place.
Is this harsh?
In a position where raw speed is crucial, Tui’s near decade in age difference compared with Vahaakolo and Leti-I’iga may have counted against her.
Spare a thought for Mererangi Paul. She brings greater versatility than Tui, as she can play at centre and is more accustomed to the fullback position, which Tui has also covered. Paul has an impressive record, scoring 14 tries in 14 tests, yet she was also cut from the squad.
A lack of decent goal-kicking options is an area in which Black Ferns selectors have been challenged, but it might not matter – at least not as much as in male rugby.
In 38 Rugby World Cup matches, the Black Ferns have won 36 times and scored 289 tries, converting just 143 of those. They have kicked 23 penalties, with just two of those slotted in 2022.
In the past three and a half seasons, the Black Ferns have converted 114 of 211 tries and kicked 11 penalty goals in 31 tests. The most penalties they have kicked in a single game is two, and that was in a 27-29 loss to Ireland.
The advent of professionalism hasn’t resulted in a significant improvement in the Black Ferns’ goal-kicking success rate. However, the inclusion of Renee Holmes suggests it is at the forefront of selectors’ minds.
Holmes kicked 16 of the Black Ferns’ 29 conversions in 2024 and 19 of their 45 in the ground-breaking 2022 season, where they won a dozen internationals on the trot.
With only one outing against Australia, in July, and a one-from-five goal-kicking record, Holmes’ past reputation with the boot can be the only explanation for her rapid ascent from outcast to tourist.
Albeit a smaller sample size, the goal kicking of England and France was outstanding in the 2025 Six Nations. The Roses were on target with 27 out of 39 kicks, but French fullback Morgane Bourgeois was kicking them like Thomas Ramos, with 26 goals from 29 attempts.
If all goes according to plan, the Black Ferns and Canada are likely to top their respective groups and face each other in the semifinals.
This week, Canada announced their 32-player squad, which includes 21 returning players from the previous campaign. The team will be captained by Alexandra Tessier, a nominee for the 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year, who is set to compete in her third Rugby World Cup. Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant, and Karen Paquin will also be participating in their fourth Rugby World Cup.
Sophie de Goede, a goal-kicking loose forward, might be the best women’s rugby player on the planet and is returning from a serious knee injury.
Canada nearly pulled off an upset against the Black Ferns Sevens in the 2024 Paris Olympic final. Six players from that team – Caroline Crossley, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds, Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester, and Taylor Perry – are featured in the World Cup squad.
Since 2023, Canada has lost just five of 20 test matches, including a historic victory against the Black Ferns in 2024 and two wins over France.
The numbers are imposing: 55 wins in their past 56 tests, including a streak of 25 consecutive victories. Officially ranked World No 1 for 244 successive weeks, England have won 42 home games in a row since 2016. The Red Roses World Cup squad comprises 32 players with a total of 1374 international caps among them, including 24 players with previous World Cup experience.
Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews are heading to their fourth tournaments and Emily Scarratt (118 tests, 103 wins, 789 points) will attend her fifth.
Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati, Lilli Ives Campion, Jade Shekells and Emma Sing are all making their tournament debuts.
Carson originally switched her allegiance from Canada and has been a strong anchor for the English scrum. She plays for Gloucester-Hartpury, who have won the past two English Premier Leagues.
Maddie Feaunati previously played for Wellington, where her father, former Samoan international Isaac Fe’aunati, lived both before and after his time in England. Like her father, she is known for being an aggressive loose forward.
In their match against the Black Ferns in Vancouver last year, England secured a decisive 49-31 victory, with all nine tries scored by outside backs and only two converted. England have transformed their playing style from the dull, set-piece-dominated approach of 2022. However, they can still revert to type, having successfully shut down a bold Canada in one of their few genuine contests last year, winning 21-12.
France created chaos in the second half of the Six Nations decider in May with their expansive, unpredictable attack resulting in a 43-32 loss. England was a mile in front at halftime, but looked genuinely flustered against a side with size and spontaneity. The Black Ferns need to do the same, but with a bit more calculation than the cavalier style of 2022, and they might have a fighting chance.
This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.