New Zealand beat Japan 62-19 to seal quarterfinal spot

New Zealand stormed into the quarterfinals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 with a commanding 62–19 victory over Japan in their Pool C encounter at Sandy Park, Exeter.

Despite an early setback, the reigning champions responded with a ten-try masterclass and maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament.

Japan struck early in the 4th minute through Sakurako Hatada, who scored off a well-executed maul. Ayasa Otsuka missed the conversion, but Japan had drawn first blood.

New Zealand responded quickly, with Portia Woodman-Wickliffe touching down in the 13th minute for her 50th international try. The conversion was missed, leaving the scores tied at 5–5.

Just three minutes later, Jorja Miller crossed the line and Renee Holmes added the extras to make it 12–5. Katelyn Vahaakolo then added New Zealand’s third try in the 25th minute, but the conversion was again off target.

The Black Ferns found their rhythm by the half-hour mark. Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored her first of the night in the 31st minute, converted by Holmes, pushing the lead to 24–5. Three minutes later, Kennedy Tukuafu bulldozed over for another converted try.

In the 39th minute, Risi Pouri-Lane added a sixth try, and with Holmes converting yet again, New Zealand went into halftime with a 38–5 lead. The first half ended on a sour note for Japan, with Haruka Hirotsu shown a yellow card.

The second half began with a yellow card for Laura Bayfield of New Zealand in the 43rd minute for a deliberate knock-on. Japan capitalized with Moe Tsukui scoring in the 47th minute and Otsuka nailing the conversion to cut the deficit to 38–12.

However, New Zealand responded quickly. In the 50th minute, Sorensen-McGee added her second try of the match, though the conversion was missed, pushing the score to 43–12.

Japan was handed a lifeline in the 67th minute when Bayfield received a second yellow card, upgraded to red, for collapsing a maul. The referee awarded a penalty try to Japan, bringing the score to 43–19.

But that glimmer of hope was extinguished within a minute, as Miller bagged her second try in the 68th minute. Holmes missed the conversion, but New Zealand extended their lead to 48–19.

Sorensen-McGee completed her hat-trick in the 70th minute, with Holmes converting to take the score to 55–19. Just two minutes later, Renee Holmes finished off the scoring spree with a try of her own and converted it to seal the final score at 62–19.

Team line up:

New Zealand: Sorensen-McGee; Woodman-Wickliffe, Fluhler, Brunt, Vaha'akolo; Demant, Pouri-Lane; Viliko, Ponsonby, Kalounivale, Roos, Bremner, Miller, Tukuafu, Sae

Reserves: Lolohea, Henwood, Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Bayfield, Mikaele-Tu'u, Joseph, Holmes, Setefano

Japan: Nishimura; Hatada, Furuta, Hirotsu, Imakugi; Otsuka, Moe; Kato, Kuge, Kitano, Sato, Yoshimura, Kawamura, Nagata, Saito

Reserves: Taniguchi, Mine, Nagata, Sakurai, Nduka, Abe, Yamamoto, Kobayashi