Black Ferns veteran Kelly Brazier picked for Rugby World Cup after four-year absence

Friday, 25 July 2025

Allan Bunting said it was a “millimetre” decision to leave fan favourite Ruby Tui out of his squad for the World Cup.

Kelly Brazier hadn’t played for the Black Ferns for four years until two weeks ago, now she’s off to her fourth Rugby World Cup.

The 35-year-old veteran was selected as first-five cover for captain Ruahei Demant ahead of Hannah King, World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year last year.

Brazier’s experience, composure and superior tactical kicking game gave her the nod over 21-year-old King, who will instead continue her development with the Black Ferns XV team.

King played in seven of the Black Ferns’ eight tests last year, starting in five of them and came off the bench in all three games during the Pacific Four Series in May.

“We’ve got plenty of young first-fives coming through and Hannah King is going really well. It was a tough call. It’s not quite her time now but her time will come,” coach Allan Bunting said.

Brazier is one of the most decorated rugby players in New Zealand.

She was part of the World Cup-winning Black Ferns teams in 2010 and 2017 and has won Olympic medals, Commonwealth Games medals and World Cups for the Black Ferns Sevens.

Brazier was hoping the 2022 World Cup on home soil was going to be her fourth, but she missed the cut despite putting her hand up for selection.

She didn’t play top-level 15s for three years after that, focussing on sevens instead.

But Brazier said she was keen to “play some footy” after a run with injuries last year, so she signed with the Chiefs for this year’s Super Rugby Aupiki.

Brazier said the World Cup wasn’t on her radar back then but it became an increasingly enticing prospect as the season wore on.

The Black Ferns fullback was dropped in May but forced her way back into contention for the World Cup.

After receiving a phone call from Bunting to gauge her interest in a comeback, Brazier was brought in as a travelling reserve for the Pacific Four Series before getting her chance to play test No. 43 against Australia two weeks ago.

She took the field as a second-half replacement in a 37-12 victory, her first appearance for the Black Ferns since November 2021.

“This is a team that is special to my heart, where my career started. It was an obvious yes for me,” Brazier said.

“I wasn’t guaranteed to be in the team or anything, I knew they had some unreal first-fives but I just tried to put my best foot forward each day and left it up to the coaches.”

After being confirmed in the 32-strong squad on Friday evening, Brazier said she felt just as proud to be named for her fourth World Cup as she did her first, in 2010.

At 35, she is the oldest player in a squad featuring 14 players who have never been to a World Cup.

“After not making that 2022 one, I thought that was going to be it for me because I’m more towards the end of my career than the start and that World Cup in three years is a long time to wait,” she said.

“But playing sevens in between, it’s gone fast and the body seems to have held out. When this opportunity came up, I just knew I wanted to be a part of it.”