EXETER - Defending champions New Zealand beat South Africa 46-17 at Sandy Park on Saturday to book their place in the semi-finals of Rugby World Cup 2025.

Story of the match

South Africa started the game much the better team, piling pressure on the six-time title winners with innovative and powerful forward play in Exeter that was rewarded with tries for Babalwa Latsha and Aphiwe Ngwevu. However, those were matched by efforts from New Zealand's Theresa Setefano and Braxton Sorensen-McGee to leave the scoreboard locked at 10-10 at half-time.

The Black Ferns then came roaring back after the break, scoring three tries within the first seven minutes of the second half to gain a commanding position from which their opponents could not recover.

In the end the Black Ferns scored 29 unanswered second-half points - with Sorensen-McGee, Renee Holmes and Kaipo Olsen-Baker notching two tries each - before Lerato Makua gave the South Africans reason to smile with their final try of the game.

New Zealand's Katelyn Vahaakolo was the woman to cross the line last at Sandy Park as the Black Ferns kept their title defence alive with a dominant win, while South Africa's Rugby World Cup journey came to an end in the south west of England.

Mastercard Player of the Match

Kaipo Olsen-Baker was one of three players to score two tries in Exeter, with her second try rubber-stamping the victory at the end of that seven-minute blitz at the start of the second half.

Despite her impact on the game, the Mastercard Player of the Match was typically humble when speaking about her performance.

"I wouldn't have been able to score those two tries today without the girls," she said. "We're such a tight-knit group and knows how everyone plays."

Coach insight

Black Ferns boss Allan Bunting paid tribute to South Africa and their coaching staff following his side's victory.

"For me, just massive respect to Swys [De Bruin] and South Africa," he said. "They've done an incredible job in such a short space of time and what they're doing for rugby and for women in South Africa is massive.

"When you give away seven penalties [in the first half] that's what happens. They threw in some awesome innovation and put us under some pressure but that's a good thing for us at this point in the tournament."

Meanwhile, the defeat was not enough to dampen the mood of De Bruin, who led his side to the quarter-finals of a Women's World Cup for the first time in history.

"I'm so proud. Look at our girls, look at the passion," he said. "They made a difference for millions of girls in South Africa. They have role models. There are so many trials and tribulations. I'm so thankful. 

"For us to score three tries against the mighty Black Ferns, it's a big honour and I'm so proud of each and every one of them."

Stat of the Day

It wasn't just with ball in hand that Olsen-Baker made her impact known in Exeter: she was top tackler in the match, putting in 25 hits on South African ball carriers.

Next steps

New Zealand will face the winners of the quarter-final between Canada and Australia which takes place in Bristol later in the day. That semi-final will be played on Friday, 19 September, while South Africa's Rugby World Cup is over. However, it was still an impressive campaign for the Springbok Women, who made it into the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup for the first time in history.