Portia Woodman-Wickliffe scores 50th try, Braxton Sorensen-McGee a hat-trick as Black Ferns beat Japan at Rugby World Cup

Monday, 1 September 2025

At Sandy Park, Exeter: Black Ferns 62 (Portia Woodman-Wickliffe 13', Jorja Miller 16' 58', Katelyn Vahaakolo 25', Braxton Sorensen-McGee 31' 50' 70', Kennedy Tukuafu 35', Risi Pouri-Lane 39', Renee Holmes 72' tries; Sorensen-McGee 4 con, Holmes 2 con) Japan 19 (Sakurako Hatada 4', Moe Tsukui 47' tries, penalty try 67’; Ayasa Otsuka con). HT: 38-5.

All eyes were on Portia Woodman-Wickliffe as the Black Ferns’ Rugby World Cup mismatch against Japan got started on Sunday (Monday NZ time).

The veteran winger delivered early in her side’s 62-19 win, becoming the first New Zealander to score 50 test tries and moving one clear of All Blacks record-holder Doug Howlett in the 13th minute at Sandy Park in Exeter.

But by the time the final whistle blew, it was teenage fullback Braxton Sorensen-McGee who was the centre of attention, after she scored three of the Black Ferns’ 10 tries while kicking four conversions to finish with a 23-point haul and player of the match honours.

The 18-year-old also ran for 209m in the fifth test of her career, where she has now scored a total of six tries.

Asked on the broadcast where her performance had come from, she replied: “I have no clue. I’ve got to give it to my girls though. They set me up for most of my tries. (It’s) all (down) to them”.

Sorensen-McGee was denied a try down the right in the 29th minute when her foot went into touch as she dived for the line, but made amends two minutes later on the left.

Her second try came 10 minutes into the second half and was another in the left-hand corner, after she offered good support to left winger Katelyn Vahaakolo.

The hat-trick try came 10 minutes from time and was the pick of the bunch, coming after she ran 60m while brushing off four Japanese tacklers.

Woodman-Wickliffe’s try to open the Black Ferns’ account featured a fend and a step as she ran 45m down the right flank.

Speaking to Sky Sport about her milestone at the end of her 30th test, the 34-year-old who came out of retirement earlier this year was her usual humble self.

“I think it sunk in when I can see (Vahaakolo) yelling at me going ‘Aaaah! 50 tries’ running next to me.

“But, to be actually honest, it’s a result of the team. I know I say it every time, but I’m very fortunate to play alongside some amazing players and if I get the ball with the little bit of mahi that I need to do, it’s what my job is.

“I’m extremely grateful to play in this team.”

Vahaakolo got in on the try-scoring action as well, scoring her 24th five-pointer in her 18th test, which was her Rugby World Cup debut.

Flanker Jorja Miller scored two for the second match in a row as her strong start to her first Rugby World Cup continued.

Woodman-Wickliffe showed her selflessness when she set Renee Holmes to score late on instead of trying to make it to the line herself.

The Black Ferns played 23 of the last 40 minutes with 14 women.

Laura Bayfield was sin-binned three minutes after coming on at halftime for a deliberate knock-on and received a second yellow card for collapsing a maul as Japan scored a penalty try in the 67th minute, which meant she was sent off in the third test of her career.

Japan scored the opening try in the fourth minute as the match started in surprising fashion and deployed a strong kicking game to good effect throughout the contest.

The Black Ferns conceded 11 penalties and won’t be happy to have let in three tries.

Their second-five Sylvia Brunt was forced off after a head-on-head collision with Hiroka Hirotsu late in the first half and didn’t return after the break.

The big picture

The Black Ferns’ bonus-point win keeps them top of pool C on points difference ahead of Ireland, who beat Spain 43-27 in the first of Sunday’s four matches. Spain showed plenty of fight, coming back from 12-0 down to draw level in the first half, before Ireland scored the next 24 points to take control of the contest, only to concede two more tries late on.

What’s next

The Black Ferns face Ireland next Sunday (1.45am Monday NZ time) in a clash that will decide who tops pool C.