Six times New Zealand have made it to the final and six times they have walked off the pitch clutching the Women’s Rugby World Cup Trophy.
It is a level of success that is ingrained deep in the Black Ferns DNA, and at their opening press conference, the RWC 2025 squad laid out one ingredient they clearly believe is key.
“It’s probably just as important, our off-field stuff, that they get their minds away from rugby, get out and explore England and the towns that we’re in, especially here in York,” defence coach Steve Jackson said firmly.
“They’ve had some down time to be able to switch off, and I know when it comes to training they’ll switch back on, which is pretty good.”
This ability to flick between modes is something the players tasked with upholding their nation’s remarkable record appreciate.
“Our team has a really good balance of switching off and it helps that everyone in this team is kind of best friends,” young scrum-half Maia Joseph explained. “So, it’s easy to entertain ourselves off the field and play cards, play games in the team room, go for walks, chat.
“And being over in England, we get to go and explore a new country, which is really exciting, especially for the players who haven’t been here before.”
Fellow 23-year-old and RWC debutant, Vici-Rose Green knows just what her teammate is talking about.
“It can get quite intense sometimes with just rugby,” the two-cap hooker said. “But if I do a couple of the things that fill my cup up, I’m pretty sweet.”
Jackson, who coached the Samoa men’s team at Rugby World Cup 2019, is well aware that how his charges deal with the fervour ahead will likely define this team.
“It’s a long tournament, you’re here for six weeks if you get through to the final and it’s a competition, so you’re playing week in and week out,” he said. “You’ve got to perform on the world stage and normally (at a) World Cup, everybody’s watching.”
Green and Joseph are two of the young tyros who, along with the likes of 18-year-old Braxton Sorenson-McGee and sevens star Jorga Miller, have sent jolts of energy through the 2017 and 2021 world champions. Crucially, though they still have the likes of 30-year-old fly-half Ruahei Demant and RWC record try scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe to balance the books.
“There’s a lot of experience in our team and then there’s a few newbies, like myself, so they’ve just gotten around us,” Green said. “I can’t express how much gratitude I have for them. They’ve helped me absolutely grow in this space and I’m just really excited to see everyone’s weapons unleashed.”
This ability to “unleash” when it really matters is what has helped the Black Ferns become what is fashionably labelled ‘mentality monsters’. Maintaining this priceless skill is what apparently drove director of rugby Allan Bunting to perform his own haka (A Maori ceremonial war dance performed by New Zealand teams before kickoff) in a changing room in front of his squad back in May.
Jackson knows he, and the rest of the world, will soon see if this version of the Black Ferns has what it takes.
“You’re playing the best of the best, and there’s so much hype around a World Cup,” he said. “We’ve just got to perform well and be ready.”