Kieran Read has backed the Black Ferns to tap into New Zealand's 'history and DNA' ahead of their huge Rugby World Cup 2025 semi-final against Canada on Friday.
The Black Ferns are on an unbeaten streak in Rugby World Cups that dates back to a pool-stage loss to Ireland in 2014. Since then they have swept all before them, winning the 2017 and 2021 tournaments. The New Zealanders are gathering the kind of momentum that saw them win four tournaments on the bounce between 1998 and 2010.
This year's crop has their work cut out in a last-four clash with the best Canadian side ever assembled, but former All Blacks captain Read is backing his compatriots to take confidence from their previous victories.
"The fact the history's there now makes it something you want to live up to," Read said. "That's always been in the New Zealand rugby teams.
"For them it's making sure you can turn up and perform on the biggest stage. That requires a lot of skill but more so a lot of work on the mental game and handling what a World Cup does to you in terms of pressure."
The Black Ferns came into the tournament ranked third in the world, and as such had slightly less of a spotlight on them than usual. They started their Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign with solid victories over Spain and Japan, but since then have played some of their best rugby.
A comfortable victory over Ireland in the final outing of the pool stage was followed by a slick quarter-final win against South Africa in Exeter - and Read says the way the Black Ferns are going about their business is cause for them to head into the semi-finals high on confidence.
"They've improved from last year and even from the start of this year, watching them in the pool games," he said. "Even in the quarter-final where they got put under a bit more pressure.
"There's certainly some great signs in there. Our DNA, the willingness to score some amazing tries has been evident. Man, they've scored some great tries."
While the razor-sharp focus of the team has impressed Read, so has the way they've conducted themselves on and off the field when interacting with opponents and fans alike.
"You always see that from the women, it's great," he said. "I've got two daughters and it's cool for them to see the girls out there playing with smiles on their faces.
"Still going hard obviously and giving it their all on the field, but doing it with a smile on their face. It's really inspiring actually."
Read and the rest of New Zealand will be hoping their players have more reason to smile than the Canadians come full-time at Ashton Gate. The 39-year-old knows all about these big games, having won back-to-back Rugby World Cups with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015.
The legendary number eight says he hopes the Black Ferns are able to enjoy the special occasion and "embrace" the pressure of making it all the way to a sold-out final at Allianz Stadium next week.
"Embrace the opportunities," he said. "One reason you go over to World Cup is to give yourself a chance.
"Right now there's no point in holding anything back, it's going out there and enjoying it the best you can and trying to earn yourself another chance at the next week."
