Black Ferns win, Fiji upset Wales, Savea shines for All Blacks, NRL Finals Set

The Black Ferns made a statement on Sunday in Brighton, thumping Ireland 40-0 to finish atop their pool and secure a spot in the upcoming Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.

Played in front of a packed crowd of just over 30,000, the victory confirms New Zealand will face South Africa on Sunday at midnight.

Sylvia Brunt, the 21-year-old centre, who was named Player of the Match, was one of the standout performers, alongside rising talents Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Jorja Miller.

Sorensen-McGee achieved back-to-back hat-tricks, while blindside flanker Miller played a pivotal role, contributing four offloads and causing constant disruption for the Irish defence.

In a post-match interview upon receiving the award, Brunt expressed gratitude for her faith and family, highlighting the strong culture they have built within camp to honour wins such as this.

“First of all, I want to praise and glorify our heavenly father. I couldn’t be here without him,” Brunt told reporters. “We spoke about celebrating every win and I enjoyed that with the team. We have a saying, ‘With you, with me,’ and that is something we take through the tournament.

New Zealand Black Ferns v Ireland, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. Photo/Matthew Impey/Photosport

“Very grateful to be in the quarter finals. We’ve just been going game by game so looking forward to it.”

The Kiwis’ pace on attack proved an arduous task for the Irish to counter, unable to keep up. The Black Ferns recorded a total of 554 running metres compared to Ireland’s 333.

Irish centre Eve Higgins says while the team struggled to make an impact, they still have an opportunity to regroup ahead of next week's quarter-final.

"It’s disappointing to come out and have zero points on the board, but we're fortunate enough now to be through to a quarter-final next week.

“We’ve got a few days to assess ourselves and fix things. New Zealand put huge line speed on today, with huge physicality. It’s now what we do to learn from that and get ahead,” Higgins says.

While captain Ruahei-Demant voiced disappointment in their previous outing against Japan, head coach Allan Bunting was proud of the class shown by his side against the Irish.

“We were formidable on D, we didn’t want to let them past and that’s what it’s going to take to go further in this competition… we’ll enjoy this moment. There are things that we can build off to be a bit better for next week,” Bunting says.

Fiji vs Wales

In other Women’s Rugby World Cup results, the Fijiana ended their World Cup campaign on a high note, upsetting Wales 28-25 in a thrilling contest on Saturday at a packed Sandy Park in Exeter.

Both teams entered the match looking for their first win of the competition, but it was Fiji that prevailed to claim just their second victory in women’s World Cup history.

Leading 28-15 at halftime, the Welsh fought valiantly in the second 40 with tries from Kayleigh Powell and Lisa Neumann, to bridge the gap.

A disallowed try for the Fijiana in the 50th minute due to an offside kept the game alive for Wales. But, Fiji’s distinctive style of play through keeping the ball alive and offloading helped them clinch the win.

Fiji head coach, Ioan Cunningham, shared in a post-match interview that the win rewarded the efforts his side made to live out the intentions they set for this campaign.

“This is huge, it’s massive for Fiji Rugby and Fijiana. We set out on this journey to inspire young women and girls to play rugby back at home in Fiji, and I think the team have done that, I’m so proud of them,” Cunningham says.

Click here for all full fixtures and results, from the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

osifini Neihamu of Fiji scores her team's second try during the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool B match between Wales and Fiji at Sandy Park in Exeter, England. Photo/Morgan Harlow/World Rugby

Ardie’s 100th match

In a dramatic final 10 minutes, Ardie Savea’s heroics ensured the All Blacks maintained their unbeaten streak with a hard-fought 24-17 victory over South Africa at Eden Park on Saturday.

With just minutes left on the clock and the Springboks threatening to level the score, Savea made a crucial turnover with a steal in the ruck, thwarting the visitors' hopes of a late comeback. In a powerful show of leadership, Savea was heard shouting, “This is my house”, as he stood over the Springboks players, cementing his role as the team's defensive rock.

The Springboks had closed the gap earlier when replacement halfback Cobus Reinach crossed for a converted try, slicing New Zealand’s lead to just seven points. But despite relentless pressure from the South African attack, Savea’s intervention dashed any chance of an upset.

In a post-match tribute celebrating Savea’s remarkable achievement, he took a moment to acknowledge the Springboks for the formidable challenge they consistently present.

“Jesse [Kriel] and the Springbok brothers, thank you, it’s never easy playing against you guys I hate it but love it at the same time… we go again next week but it’s always a pleasure to come out here and as you saw tonight with the crowd, it’s an atmosphere and a reminder why we play footy,” Ardie says.

They will travel down the line to Wellington, where they will face off at an electric Sky Stadium, kick off 7.05pm. Click here for all Lipovitan-D series results, and fixtures.

Stage is set for NRL finals

Week one of the 2025 NRL Premiership finals series kicks off this weekend, with the top eight teams confirmed following a thrilling Round 27 filled with dramatic twists and hypothetical scenarios.

In a heartbreaking 27-26 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles on Friday, the Warriors secured sixth place in the standings. They will now host the in-form seventh-placed Penrith Panthers in the first elimination final on Saturday at Go Media Stadium. The match kicks off at 6.05pm.

The finals series will start with a crucial showdown between the Melbourne Storm and third-placed Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs on Friday at AAMI Park. Both teams are guaranteed an extra chance to stay alive in the competition, regardless of the outcome.

The Sydney Roosters, fresh off a dominant 30-6 victory over their regional rivals, the Rabbitohs, to secure their top-eight spot, will face the Cronulla Sharks in the second elimination final of the round. The match will kick off at 9.50pm at Sharks Stadium.

Despite suffering a heavy 62-24 defeat to the Redcliffe Dolphins on Sunday, Ricky Stuart’s Canberra Raiders will host a high-flying Brisbane Broncos team in the final game of the weekend. After a commanding win over the Melbourne Storm in their last regular-season outing, the Broncos will be eager to make a statement in Canberra. Kick-off is at 7.35pm.

NRL finals launch. Photo/Bianca De Marchi/Photosport