New Zealand, Ireland Reach Women's Rugby World Cup Quarterfinals

New Zealand secured their place in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 62-19 victory over Japan, while Ireland also qualified from Pool C following their win over Spain. The match marked a milestone for New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who became the first player, male or female, to score 50 test tries for New Zealand during the game. Although Japan struck first and caused some challenges with their rolling maul and territorial dominance, New Zealand's experience and skill prevailed, with standout performances from young players Braxton Sorensen-McGee, who scored a hat-trick of tries, and Jorja Miller, who added two more. Despite the comfortable scoreline, New Zealand captain Ruahei Demant acknowledged the team has yet to deliver a full 80-minute performance, indicating room for improvement ahead of their final pool match against Ireland. South Africa also made history by defeating Italy for the first time, positioning themselves on the brink of their first World Cup quarter-final. The upcoming match between New Zealand and Ireland in Brighton is highly anticipated as it will determine the top spot in Pool C.