Canadian women lose Pacific Four Series rugby title to New Zealand on a tiebreaker

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 24, 2025 12:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 24

Winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe entered the grounds books with 7 tries Saturday arsenic the New Zealand Black Ferns thumped the U.S. 79-14 to dethrone Canada arsenic Pacific Four Series rugby champion connected a tiebreaker.

Second-ranked Canada and No. 3 New Zealand, who played to a melodramatic 27-27 gully past Saturday, some finished with 13 points astatine 2-0-1. The Canadian women wrapped up play Friday with a 45-7 triumph implicit No. 6 Australia successful Brisbane.

Given the gully betwixt Canada and New Zealand, the rubric was decided by the 2nd tiebreaker — points differential. The Black Ferns went into the tourney finale with a points differential of plus-26, trailing Canada's plus-50.

First-half chapeau tricks by Woodman-Wickliffe and chap winger Katelyn Vahaakolo ended the play quickly.

Woodman-Wickliffe, 33, who has travel retired of planetary status aft stepping distant aft winning her 2nd rugby sevens golden astatine the Paris Olympics, added 4 much tries successful the 2nd fractional to go the Black Ferns' all-time starring try-scorer with 45.

Vahaakolo finished with 4 tries for New Zealand, which led 34-14 astatine the fractional astatine North Harbour Stadium, arsenic the Black Ferns upped their constituent differential to plus-91.

The ninth-ranked U.S. women (0-3-0) finished 4th down Australia (1-2-0).

Canada opened tourney play with a 26-14 triumph implicit the U.S. connected May 2 successful Kansas City. All 4 Pacific Four Series teams are preparing for the World Cup, which kicks disconnected Aug. 22 successful England. The Canadians person been drawn successful Pool B with No. 7 Scotland, No. 10 Wales and No. 16 Fiji.

Canada could look Australia successful the quarterfinals and New Zealand successful the World Cup semifinal with No. 1 England, the tourney favourite, expected to beryllium waiting successful the final.

Next Up

Canada's adjacent games are against No. 12 South Africa successful Pretoria connected July 5 and Gqeberha connected July 12. Its last tune-up is Aug. 9 against No. 5 Ireland successful Belfast.

Canada won past year's Pacific Four Series with its first-ever triumph implicit New Zealand, defeating the Black Ferns 22-19 successful Christchurch. The Canadian women had mislaid each 17 meetings with New Zealand earlier that.

Canada besides won the inaugural Pacific Four Series successful 2021, erstwhile the lawsuit consisted of a two-game bid with the U.S. owed to COVID-19 question restrictions. The Canadians finished runner-up to New Zealand successful 2022 and 2023 erstwhile the contention was expanded to 4 teams.

Canada is 12-5-1 since losing 36-0 to France successful the third-place crippled astatine the past World Cup successful November 2022. Four of those losses were to England, with the different to New Zealand.