Black Ferns relive World Cup pain to prepare for Canada
Black Ferns dejected after their World Cup semi-final loss to Canada.
Photo: www.photosport.nz
Black Ferns hooker Georgia Ponsonby lay in bed last night watching another replay of her side’s heartbreaking World Cup semi-final loss to Canada seven months ago.
It might seem a touch masochistic, but Ponsonby’s approach is simple as her side prepares to meet their rivals for the first time since they ended the Black Ferns World Cup defence.
The Black Ferns play Canada in Kansas City on Saturday morning as part of the 2026 Pacific Four Series.
“I guess you’ve kind of got to go back and see where you went wrong if we want to have a chance of winning this weekend,” Ponsonby said.
“It was obviously a heartbreaking moment for us but absolutely went back and reflected on it, saw where we can be better, saw where they won the game and move forward and really looking forward to coming up against them this weekend.”
Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu said it was an experience that binded those players.
“The girls that went there [to the World Cup] we’ve sort of sat down and spoken about it but for this week we just wanted to prepare for this new era of our identity. We’ve put a lot of focus on ourselves β¦focussing on our discipline but we still want to come out and be really physical, and let our girls do their thing.”
New Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen, who was not part of the 2025 World Cup coaching team, said while it was important to acknowledge, the focus is on the game they are about to play against Canada.
“It sits there and it’s something that we’ve talked about in terms of ‘yes it’s there and yes it happened’ but this game’s about us and moving forward.”
Hansen has named an unchanged side from the team that defeated the United States 48-15 in last weekend’s Pacific Four Series opener in Sacramento, with prop Tanya Kalounivale returning to the bench after being cleared to play.
Kalounivale was sent off during the game for a dangerous cleanout contact at a ruck. She was initially yellow carded with the card later upgraded to red. But a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday determined that the action did not warrant a red card, making her available for selection.
“We wanted to challenge that based on what we saw and what we felt her intentions were and did that and got a result where the panel agreed with us.”
But Hansen said discipline has been a focus this week
“As much as possible we’ve got to try and take the referee out of the game and there were some things in that space that we could have avoided.”
Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen.
Photo: Marty Melville / PHOTOSPORT
Hansen said building some continuity was important.
“Stability probably was a priority in this space and having a really strong connection that we grow between key positions. We absolutely will look to grow opportunities for athletes that create depth but this wasn’t the game to do this in.”
The newly minted coach has talked about the Black Ferns entering a new era and establishing a “rugby identity”.
Hansen said it boiled down to wanting to see great rugby more often.
“Our rugby identity should be summed up by being a team that’s really unpredictable, so you won’t know what’s coming next but you’re excited for what it is. We’re a team that’s physically dominant, we’ve got different athletes to the rest of the world and we want to be able to showcase that.
“And we want to be relentless so work rate and I think the exciting thing is this team is the fittest it’s ever been before so that will allow us to work hard for each other. And then the last part of that is we work through the processes, we want to be a team that’s clinical.”
Black Ferns team-mates Kennedy Tukuafu (left) and Georgia Ponsonby.
Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
The Black Ferns have been training at the headquarters of National Football League (NFL) heavyweights the Kansas City Chiefs.
“The facility is amazing, we are just on the training field, we haven’t been into any of the buildings unfortunately but it’s a spectacle, they’ve got a huge massive indoor area the length of about three rugby fields so it’s pretty impressive,” Ponsonby said.
Hansen said they hadn’t bumped into NFL mega-stars like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, yet.
“We’re trying really hard, you know there’s a lingering before getting on the bus it’s taking a wee bit longer than usual, but no haven’t been successful yet.”
Hansen said prop Marcelle Parkes, who has just been brought in as injury cover, is the biggest Chiefs fan in the team.
“She just joined us and I think that’s probably the highlight so far for her is that’s where we’re training. She’s definitely a day one [Chiefs fan], I’m sure there’s a couple of others that have tried to get on the bandwagon.”
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