London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Dec 23, 2025

Scotland out of World Cup after New Zealand loss

Scotland out of World Cup after New Zealand loss

Scotland are out of the Rugby World Cup after a heavy defeat by hosts New Zealand in Whangarei.

Renee Holmes, Ayesha Leti-l'iga, Sarah Hirini, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Renee Wickliffe, and Maia Roos all crossed for the Black Ferns in a clinical performance.

Scotland improved after the break but were unable to get on the scoreboard.

It leaves Bryan Easson's side without a win after defeats by Wales and Australia.

New Zealand, roared on by a passionate home crowd, raced out of the blocks and scored their first try inside two minutes.

A spell of sustained pressure was eventually finished off in the corner by Holmes after some lovely hands from Fitzpatrick and Hazel Tubic.

Scotland looked stunned and the Black Ferns showed all their attacking flair - more slick handling and strong carries led to Leti-l'iga and Hirini both crossing before Mikaele-Tu'u crashed over to secure the bonus point.

There was no let-up and the fifth try was arguably their best. Fitzpatrick gathered an audacious offload from Alana Bremner and somehow grounded the ball under pressure from several Scottish defenders.

Scotland can count themselves unfortunate for the sixth try - Tubic's pass to release Wickliffe looked well forward, but the referee allowed play to continue and the winger jinked past two would-be tacklers to score.

Wickliffe then strolled over for her second right on the stroke of half-time to finish a one-sided first 40.

Scotland looked a different outfit after the break though, building phases and posing New Zealand questions for the first time.

Shona Campbell was bright with ball in hand and twice Scotland came within metres of the home tryline only to see possession snatched away.

They were also able to shore things up defensively, showing all of the grit and fight that characterised their first two group games.

New Zealand did cross through Roos, but it took a superb offload from Natalie Delamere to unlock the Scottish defence.

Another brilliant move led to Sylvia Brunt running over the top of Liz Musgrove and feed Holmes to score New Zealand's ninth try of the game and put the polish on an impressive win.

Scotland head coach Bryan Easson: "We got caught cold a little bit, but second half we kept the ball so much better. It shows what they're all about.

"We're ready to kick on again and we want to be back on this stage. The two losing bonus points could have been two wins - that's how close we are."


Line-ups


New Zealand: Holmes; Wickliffe, Du Plessis, Fitzpatrick, Leti-l'iga; Tubic, Marino-Tauhinu; Love, Ponsonby, Rule, Ngan-Woo, Roos, Bremner, Hirini, Mikaele-Tu'u.

Replacements: Delamere, Murray, Kalounivale, Bremner, Reynolds, Cocksedge, Brunt, Demant.

Scotland: Campbell; Lloyd, Orr, Thomson, Smith; Nelson, Mattinson; Wright, Skeldon, Belisle, Wassell, Bonar, Malcolm (capt), McLachlan, Konkel-Roberts.

Replacements: Rettie, Bartlett, Dougan, O'Donnell, McMillan, McDonald, Smith, Musgrove.

Referee: Aurelie Groizeleau

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proclaims, “For Ukraine, surrendering their land would be a nightmare.”
Microsoft Challenges £2.1 Billion UK Cloud Licensing Lawsuit at Competition Tribunal
Fake Doctor in Uttar Pradesh Accused of Killing Woman After Performing YouTube-Based Surgery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
UK Officials Push Back at Trump Saying European Leaders ‘Talk Too Much’ About Ukraine
UK Warns of Escalating Cyber Assault Linked to Putin’s State-Backed Operations
×