Black Ferns v France: A Rivalry in Numbers

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The Black Ferns’ journey at this Rugby World Cup comes down to one final chance for silverware: a Bronze Final showdown with France at Twickenham.

It’s a fierce and competitive rivalry that has produced some unforgettable encounters over the years, and another chapter will be written this weekend. Here’s how the numbers tell this tale.

12: The Black Ferns and France have played 12 Test matches. The Black Ferns have won seven, while France have come out on top five times.

380: The Black Ferns have scored 380 points against France (an average of 31 points per game), while France has scored 183.

45: Vanessa Cootes is the leading points scorer in this rivalry with 45 points from two matches against France. Cootes scored nine tries in the 109-0 win over France in 1996.

17: The Black Ferns scored 17 tries in their 109-0 win over France in 1996, which was the first meeting between the two teams.

1: Just one point separated the Black Ferns and France in their last Rugby World Cup clash, a 25-24 semi-final thriller in 2021 that sent New Zealand to the final.


59: Braxton Sorenson-McGee leads the points at the 2025 Rugby World Cup with 59, thanks to nine tries and seven conversions. For France, Morgane Bourgeois tops the scoring with 27 points, placing her 10th overall in the tournament.

20: Among current players, Katelyn Vahaakolo is the leading points scorer against France with 20 points, made up of four tries scored across two Test matches. Can she add to that tally this weekend?

25: Twenty-five points separated the teams the last time they met, with the Black Ferns defeating France 39-14 in a WXV1 clash in Vancouver in October 2024.

35: So far at the 2025 Rugby World Cup, the Black Ferns have crossed the line 35 times, sitting second-equal with Canada behind England, who lead with 43 tries. France are fourth on the tournament try-scoring ladder with 31.

3: Whoever wins the clash between the Black Ferns and France on the weekend will secure a third-place finish at the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

Find out more about the rivalry on the Black Ferns stats page. and follow the Black Ferns on YouTube HERE.

Rugby World Cup Bronze Medal Match: Black Ferns v France, Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, Saturday 26 September, 12.30pm BST time (11.30pm NZT). Watch live on Sky Sport NZ.

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