Black Ferns cop red card as new era starts with wobbly win over United States in Pacific Four Series

Sunday, 12 April 2026

Mererangi Paul scored a hat-trick for the Black Ferns (file photo).

At Heart Health Park, Sacramento: Black Ferns 48 (Mererangi Paul tries 8min, 11min, 52min, Sylvia Brunt try 32min, Renee Holmes tries 48min, 56min, Hannah King try 63min; Holmes 5 con, pen) United States 15 (Hope Rogers try 5min, Erica Coulibaly try 34min; Bella Vogel con, pen). HT: 19-15.

Yellow card: Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (Black Ferns) 42min, Vici-Rose Green (Black Ferns) 72min

Red card (upgraded): Tanya Kalounivale (Black Ferns) 60min

It was a mix of shaky and silky as the Black Ferns kicked off the new Whitney Hansen era with a wild win over the United States in their Pacific Four Series opener in Sacramento, California, on Sunday (NZ time).

In a test where co-captain Ruahei Demant became the longest-serving Ferns skipper (36 matches), and Mererangi Paul kept up her impressive try-scoring strike rate (now 17 in 17 outings) by notching a second-straight hat-trick against the US, and four debutants took the park, ill-discipline ended up marring the 48-15 victory.

New Zealand copped three second-half cards, including one which was upgraded to red for reserve prop Tanya Kalounivale after she went as low as could be on a cleanout in the 60th minute, but given the static ruck and forceful direct-head contact, was given her marching orders, and subsequent 20-minute upgrade.

First-five Ruahei Demant became the Black Ferns’ longest-serving skipper in the 2026 season opener.

A looming suspension leaves the Black Ferns down two of their six props in the squad (after Awhina Tangen-Wainohu had been scratched late from the series due to a neck injury) ahead of a big World Cup semifinal re-match with Canada next Saturday (NZT) in Kansas City, Missouri.

That followed a harsher yellow card call on blindside flanker Liana Mikaele-Tu'u for a 42nd minute high tackle, while reserve hooker Vici-Rose Green joined the card chaos in the 72nd for a ruck infringement near her side’s goal-line.

As the heavens opened in the final quarter of an hour, the Ferns duly couldn’t add to their tally, aside from a late penalty goal from Renee Holmes, who was impressive at fullback in scoring two tries, kicking 6/8 off the tee, and also a left-footed 50-22.

With just 12 of the World Cup semifinal 23 returning for this fixture, and all but five players having not played in the six months since (Demant, Kalounivale, Mikaele- Tu’u, Maiakawanakaulani Roos and Georgia Ponsonby the exceptions, after featuring in England’s PWR) clunkiness was to be a given against a world No 8 States side, who narrowly missed the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Kaipo Olsen-Baker goes on the charge in the Black Ferns’ season-opening win over the Eagles in Sacramento.

But, with set pieces proving strong (scrum 100%, lineout 95%) and second-five Sylvia Brunt a real handful in midfield, with a game-high eight defenders beaten, and going equal-game-high for carries (15, level with co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu) and linebreaks (2, with Holmes and Paul) and carving out 65 metres, the Ferns attack did have a slickness about it for plenty of the time.

However, the States ‒ who have only beaten New Zealand once in their 17 meetings (at the 1991 World Cup) and who were trounced 79-14 at North Harbour last year ‒ under new coach Jack Hanratty, who guided Canada to Olympic sevens silver in 2024, proved menacing at the breakdown, winning an incredible five turnovers to nil in a first half where they turned at just 19-15 behind.

The massive underdogs had struck a surprise first blow, opening the scoring in the fifth minute when prop Hope Rogers, their most-capped player in history, burrowed over after a close-range lineout, which came on the back of a couple of Black Ferns penalties.

New Zealand struck back straight away, though, with Paul scoring twice in the space of three minutes in the right corner, first through a great chip-and-chase effort, then after a nice floating ball from Demant.

After the States won a breakdown turnover penalty and opted for goal, the margin stayed at just two for nearly 20 minutes, as the Ferns, despite camping down the US end with 67% first-half territory, couldn’t make it count, through a mixture of their own errors and their opponents’ willingness to roll up the sleeves and compete on defence.

The pressure eventually told in the 32nd minute when a hard-charging Brunt was rewarded with a well-deserved try from a midfield scrum, only for the US to hit right back with a stunner, with a great breakdown steal from Hann Humphreys then seeing Katana Howard kick through and Erica Coulibaly outgun her opposite, Paul, in chasing through.

There were butchered efforts in either half, when Laura Bayfield gave a poor pass to an unmarked Ponsonby, and Paul knocked on in a desperate covering tackle from Coulibaly for what would have been her hat-trick, and in a game where the Ferns had 15 entries into their opponents’ 22, had 10 linebreaks to two, and 81% ‘lightning-quick ball’ (0-3 seconds from the ruck), Hansen will have plenty to tidy up on their six-day turnaround.