Stacey Waaka was surprised to be told by a journalist during Tuesday’s media day that she has a record of never losing a Rugby World Cup game.
New Zealand’s last loss at a Rugby World Cup was against Ireland at Rugby World Cup 2014, with Waaka taking part in the subsequent title-winning campaigns in 2017 and 2022.
Now taking part in her third Rugby World Cup, Waaka says it’s not something she puts her focus on, but is nonetheless “happy with that result”.
“I didn’t actually know that, now that you say it, it’s true,” the 29-year-old said.
“I don’t think like that because I have already lost games in the black jersey and those always hurt, but I’m happy with that result. I’ll take that!”
Two of Waaka’s 11 Rugby World Cup victories have come in this edition, having played the full 80 minutes of the wins against Japan and Ireland. Add to that a defeat of Spain in the opening game, and New Zealand have arrived for Saturday’s quarter-final against South Africa in Exeter on the back of an unbeaten pool phase.
However, their title defence now begins in earnest, as there is now no room for error in the knockouts – and that means a huge spike in pressure on the players in the team.
“The biggest things is telling the girls to embrace everything that it brings,” Waka said of lending some advice to the younger and less experienced players in the team.
“There’s more people in the stadium, it’s louder, there’s more pressure and all the outside noise. You have to think of it coolly and don’t try and shy away from it; don’t try to block it out.
“It’s more about seeing it, hearing it, feeling it and feeling like you are ready for the challenge. The noise won’t go away so you might as well deal with it somehow and continue playing their (our) game.”
One of those young players in the team is Braxton Sorensen-McGee, the Black Ferns’ teenage try-scoring sensation who has taken the step up to international rugby like a duck to water, scoring two hattricks at this Rugby World Cup already.
“I don’t really think of them and how experienced they are,” she said when asked about taking on opposition players with vastly more Test experience under their belts. “I play my game and do what the team needs.”
Like Waaka, Sorensen-McGee appears unfazed by the individual accolades she’s racking up at this Rugby World Cup.
“It’s not really something I concentrate on,” she said about scoring the most points in the tournament during the pool phase. “If I hadn’t seen it online, I wouldn’t have known so I don’t go looking for that stuff.”
The grounded 18-year-old feels there is nothing for the team to change when it comes to their mentality during this weekend’s quarter-final – “We treat every game as a final” – which is a sentiment echoed by Black Ferns assistant coach Steve Jackson.
“This is a quarter-final. There is no tomorrow if you lose,” he said. “We cannot be complacent – we will have to be at our best to come out on top.
This isn’t pool-play anymore. If you win you move forward, if you lose you are back on the airplane the next day going home. We understand how big this game is, we are going to leave no stone unturned this week.”
New Zealand face South Africa in Exeter on Saturday, 16 September and you can buy tickets to the game by clicking here.