Sorensen-McGee turns 20 and draws Cullen comparisons as Black Ferns build World Cup momentum

Braxton Sorensen-McGee turned 20 this week and celebrated with a swerving solo try through the French defence in Whangarei, the latest in a series of performances that have drawn comparisons to New Zealand full-back legend Christian Cullen as the Black Ferns build momentum toward the next Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The teenage sensation at last year’s World Cup is characteristically understated about the try that has set social media alight. “I think every full-back kind of waits for that moment to happen, for those holes that open up, so I was just very grateful that it happened when I had the ball,” she said.

New Zealand are preparing for a third consecutive match against France, this time in Christchurch, with Sorensen-McGee acknowledging that the visitors have been severely hampered by injuries and absences, including key players Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Madoussou Fall Raclot. “I think France is a very good side, it’s just unfortunate that they have a lot of players injured at the moment. Their strengths are definitely their offloads, their strength, their physicality, and just their ability to stay on top when a team lets them.”

The Black Ferns’ only defeat across six matches over the past two months came against England at Allianz Stadium, where Zoe Harrison’s late interception try proved decisive. Sorensen-McGee insists the loss carried lessons rather than regret. “It was definitely hard, obviously, losing to England, but we feel like we played really well. We felt that it could have gone either way. We just took our learnings from that game and have just improved from them.”

That narrow defeat to England, combined with Canada’s draw and back-to-back wins against the world champions, points to a tightening at the top of the women’s game — a development Sorensen-McGee welcomes. “I definitely think every team has gotten a lot stronger from maybe last year. The game has grown a lot, and just seeing where women’s rugby is right now is just a good feeling. You can’t really go into any game taking a team lightly.”

Despite her rapid rise, Sorensen-McGee remains grounded about where she stands within the squad, admitting she still feels as though she is “growing in this team”. She spent part of the season competing in sevens before returning to fifteens and winning Super Rugby Aupiki with the Blues — a versatility that underlines just how much runway remains for a player who, by any measure, is only just getting started.