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

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe of New Zealand in action during HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2024 in Singapore on Sunday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

AUCKLAND — Winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe entered the record books with seven tries Saturday as the New Zealand Black Ferns thumped the U.S. 79-14 to dethrone Canada as Pacific Four Series rugby champion on a tiebreaker.

Second-ranked Canada and No. 3 New Zealand, who played to a dramatic 27-27 draw last Saturday, both finished with 13 points at 2-0-1. The Canadian women wrapped up play Friday with a 45-7 win over No. 6 Australia in Brisbane.

Given the draw between Canada and New Zealand, the title was decided by the second tiebreaker — points differential. The Black Ferns went into the tournament finale with a points differential of plus-26, trailing Canada’s plus-50.

First-half hat tricks by Woodman-Wickliffe and fellow winger Katelyn Vahaakolo ended the drama quickly.

Woodman-Wickliffe, 33, who has come out of international retirement after stepping away after winning her second rugby sevens gold at the Paris Olympics, added four more tries in the second half to become the Black Ferns’ all-time leading try-scorer with 45.

Vahaakolo finished with four tries for New Zealand, which led 34-14 at the half at North Harbour Stadium, as the Black Ferns upped their point differential to plus-91.

The ninth-ranked U.S. women (0-3-0) finished fourth behind Australia (1-2-0).

Canada opened tournament play with a 26-14 win over the U.S. on May 2 in Kansas City.

All four Pacific Four Series teams are preparing for the World Cup, which kicks off Aug. 22 in England. The Canadians have been drawn in Pool B with No. 7 Scotland, No. 10 Wales and No. 16 Fiji.

Canada could face Australia in the quarterfinals and New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal with No. 1 England, the tournament favourite, expected to be waiting in the final.

Canada’s next games are against No. 12 South Africa in Pretoria on July 5 and Gqeberha on July 12. Its final tune-up is Aug. 9 against No. 5 Ireland in Belfast.

Canada won last year’s Pacific Four Series with its first-ever victory over New Zealand, defeating the Black Ferns 22-19 in Christchurch. The Canadian women had lost all 17 meetings with New Zealand before that.

Canada also won the inaugural Pacific Four Series in 2021, when the event consisted of a two-game series with the U.S. due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The Canadians finished runner-up to New Zealand in 2022 and 2023 when the competition was expanded to four teams.

Canada is 12-5-1 since losing 36-0 to France in the third-place game at the last World Cup in November 2022. Four of those losses were to England, with the other to New Zealand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press