Forward or back? Jorja Miller wows with incredible try for Black Ferns against Australia

Sunday, 13 July 2025

Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting won’t change Jorja Miller’s position after her spectacular individual try against Australia – joking that she plays wherever she wants anyway.

The 21-year-old New Zealand sevens superstar lit up Sky Stadium on Saturday when she caught the ball just inside the opposition half following a Wallaroos drop out and beat several defenders in a comfortable 37-12 win.

It was a try any outside back would be proud of, let alone an openside flanker.

But Bunting seems happy for the Olympic gold medallist to stay in the No. 7 jersey, where she has a licence to roam.

“She’s probably playing wherever she wants at the moment anyway,” Bunting laughed.

The solo effort capped another standout performance from Miller, who was playing just her second test for the Black Ferns after putting her hand up for World Cup selection.

After a tense first half, the Black Ferns blew Australia away with five second-half tries.

Earlier, Miller set up the opening try for hat-trick hero Portia Woodman-Wickliffe after just 62 seconds.

Roaming on the right edge, Miller used her footwork to beat her defender one-on-one and released Woodman-Wickliffe down the wing to score.

“She gets all the hype written but she’s impressive,” Bunting said of Miller after the match.

Veteran winger Ruby Tui, who sealed the win after being recalled to the squad, said the coolest thing about Miller was that she has come through New Zealand Rugby’s women’s development pathway.

She made her debut for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup in 2021 before being recruited by the Black Ferns Sevens when Bunting was head coach.

“She’s always said she wanted to make a difference in this game and we’re coming into this generation of women who have grown up playing rugby all through their high school, and they didn’t play with boys,” Tui said.

“There’s full on girls competitions now and she’s one of the first to come through that cycle. But this is just the beginning. Imagine the next gen Black Ferns. It gives me goosebumps.”

When she committed to the Black Ferns’ World Cup campaign, Miller said she had hoped to play a “hybrid role” in the 15s game, which would allow her to get stuck in at the breakdown as well as showcase her skills out wide.

“I love being close to the ball, in the rucks, around that, tackling, doing all the work but now maybe a bit of a hybrid possibly, being able to use my skill set in the back line but still playing flanker. We’ll see we go,” Miller said.

The Black Ferns’ win extended their perfect record against Australia to 29 tests without defeat.

The next time they are in action will be during the World Cup in England in August and September.

Based off her showing against Australia, Miller should be one of the first names on the team sheet.

The squad for New Zealand’s defence will be confirmed on July 25.