By Lucy Thomson in Bristol
The Black Ferns beat France when they played them last October in Canada. Photo: WWW.PHOTOSPORT.NZ
The Black Ferns will end their Rugby World Cup campaign at Twickenham next week in a bronze-medal showdown against France.
New Zealand's hopes of claiming a third consecutive world title were dashed in Bristol on Saturday, with a 34-19 semi-final defeat to Canada.
The Ferns will now face rivals France in the playoff for third place, after 'Les Bleues' were beaten 35-17 by tournament favourites England in the second semi-final on Sunday (NZT).
The showdown is steeped in unfinished business.
Last time the Black Ferns met France on the World Cup stage was the unforgettable 2022 semi-final in Auckland, where just a single point separated the two sides. New Zealand prevailing 25-24, before toppling England in the final to claim the trophy.
Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting said, while the disappointment of missing out on this year's decider was still raw, his team were determined to finish the competition on a high.
"We're going to do this World Cup proud," he said. "We're going to get back together, connect in.
"We've got another week, and we're going to go and finish with mana."
A soldout crowd of 82,000 was expected at the bronze-medal contest, followed by the final between Canada and England at the home of English rugby.
For fullback Renee Holmes, it's a chance to honour the fans who have followed the team across the country over the past six weeks.
"We're on the opposite side of the world right now, and all our whānau and friends, we love you and thank you so much for supporting us through this.
"We're just really grateful to have everyone supporting us regardless."
The bronze-medal match kicks off on Saturday at 12:30pm local time (Saturday 11:30pm NZT).
