The Black Ferns completed a series clean sweep over France with a commanding 36-7 victory in Christchurch, rounding out a dominant year that included 11 tests played and 10 wins secured.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- New Zealand’s 10 victories out of 11 tests across the year establish the side following the conclusion of their matches against France.
Christchurch Sweep Seals Dominant Year
New Zealand opened the scoring through an outrageous no-look overhead pass from No.8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u in the build-up, which was cleanly finished off by wing Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a, rnz.co.nz reported. Fullback Braxton Sorenson-McGee soon added the second try and converted it, making her the first Black Ferns player to score 100 points in a calendar year. Sorenson-McGee briefly thought she had added another moments later, but the effort was disallowed for a forward pass in the build-up.
One last time in 2026 🇳🇿🖤The Black Ferns take on France in their final game of the WXV tour and their last match of the year. Watch LIVE on #SkySportNZ 📺 pic.twitter.com/fvPhndKgWS
France found a foothold right before the break when hooker Maïlys Mailagi powered over from close range on the stroke of halftime, narrowing the deficit and providing a glimmer of hope for the second half. That momentum was quickly extinguished after the restart as Tuliau-Tua’a doubled her try tally in the corner, capitalising on sharp passing skills from prop Chryss Viliko.
Late Tries and Disciplinary Tests
Replacement prop Maddi Robinson soon powered over to claim her first test try, extending the hosts’ advantage further. However, the momentum hit a brief snag when try-scorer Tuliau-Tua’a left her team shorthanded after receiving a yellow card for a high tackle.
Unperturbed by the numerical disadvantage, New Zealand continued to press forward. Replacement Mererangi Paul crossed the chalk before hooker Vici-Rose Green dotted down in the final stages to secure the comprehensive win.
Year-End Honors and Record Context
The fixture capped a remarkable run for the squad, with New Zealand winning 10 of their 11 tests this year, including four separate victories against France. Their only blemish across the entire calendar year came against world champions and world No.1 England.
Following the final whistle, individual excellence was recognized as Black Ferns flanker Elinor-Plum King was named World Rugby XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year. Loose forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker collected the prestigious Player of the Year accolade.
