From the moment the draw for the Women’s World Cup was made, it was a match the tournament organisers would have been dreading. Hong Kong, ranked 23rd in the world, facing the might of New Zealand, just four days after taking on the 2014 beaten finalists, Canada.
It took 52 seconds for the dam to burst and 79 minutes later the Black Ferns, champions in four previous Women’s World Cups, had helped themselves to 19 tries in a 121-0 victory – Portia Woodman contributing eight of them. We were promised a record-breaking World Cup but this is unlikely to be what the organisers had in mind.
Related: England put 10 tries past Italy and steamroll towards World Cup semis
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