London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 31, 2026

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
Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise
Police Phone Checks Followed Report on Murder of MI5 Agent Inside Sinn Féin
Drought Status Extended Across All of Wales as Heat and Dry Weather Deepen Environmental Strain
Record-Low Danube Exposes Probable Mammoth Remains in Bulgaria
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
The chief executive of the popular gaming company laid off many employees and his pay rose to 38 million dollars
UK Employment Holds Steady as Wage Growth Remains Moderate
England to Introduce Artificial Intelligence into Secondary School Curriculum
Wales Launches £1.2 Billion Industrial Regeneration Programme
High Court Upholds UK Digital Surveillance Framework
Northern Ireland Reaches Budget Agreement on Infrastructure and Public Sector Pay
Home Office Expands Digital Border Checks Nationwide
UK Approves Major North Sea Wind and Carbon Capture Project
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
Scotland Approves Major Renewable Energy Expansion
UK and United States Sign AI and Semiconductor Cooperation Pact
UK Treasury Tightens Fiscal Controls After Gilt Market Volatility
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 4.5%
UK Unveils £10 Billion NHS Funding Overhaul and Workforce Reform
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Prince Harry Faces Significant Legal Costs After Insurance Shortfall
FirstGroup Sells Rail Software Business to Tracsis for £48 Million
Victoria and Albert Museum Staff Vote for Strike Action
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Contract Killing Plot in Britain
Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mailing Prices by 30%
Immigration Remains Britain's Top Public Concern, Ipsos Survey Finds
Prime Minister Says Social Care Reform Must Precede Assisted Dying Legislation
Ofgem Proposes Steep Grid Connection Charges for New Data Centers
Major Cyberattack Compromises UK Education and Police Data
Government Reviews Jurisdiction Over Crimes Involving US Military Personnel
England Declares Widespread Drought After Record Dry July
UK Commits £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Program
Zuckerberg Opposes US Ban on Chinese AI Models and Warns of Regulatory Capture
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
×