Black Ferns star Braxton Sorensen-McGee has taken the rugby world by storm at just 18 years old, winning this year’s World Rugby Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year.
The award comes after a historic Rugby World Cup campaign, where she was the top points scorer (69), top tries scorer (11), and had the most line breaks (15) out of anyone in the tournament.
Her performance at the RWC was highly anticipated, and she immediately lived up to the hype when she scored back-to-back hat-tricks in pool play against Japan and Ireland.
She became one of only three rugby players - men’s and women’s - ever to score 2 hat-tricks in a Rugby World Cup.
I don’t think her winning the award came as a shock to anyone.
After winning, Sorensen-McGee said it feels “pretty unreal” and that she was “pretty speechless”, according to Stuff.
“No words can really explain how I feel right now, but I feel pretty great.”
So, how did we get here? Where did this ‘wonder kid’ come from?
Sorensen-McGee’s journey started young - as a toddler on the sidelines watching her brother tear up the rugby league field. With five relatives on her mum’s side having played for the Kiwis, footy is just a part of her DNA.
From the first time she laced up her boots, she’s been a raging success.
Back in 2022, she won the NZ Rugby League U16 Player of the Year award, and a year later, she debuted for the Auckland Storm in the FPC. At 16 years old, she was crowned ‘Rookie of the Year.’
By 2024, her resume was pretty stacked. She co-captained the NZ Women’s U18 Sevens at the Global Youth Cup, where she was named to the tournament team. She was also the Auckland Storm’s starting fullback and lit it up for the Auckland Vulcans U18 Rugby League team, helping them secure a national championship.
She was a machine across all three codes, but eventually had to make a choice. In the end, she turned down a development contract with the NZ Warriors Women to commit to rugby union.
Not a bad decision, because 2025 saw her make her debut in Super Rugby Aupiki for the championship-winning Blues, where she scored 30 points across the season.
Her Black Ferns debut came in May this year, during the Pacific Four Series. In her first test, she scored two tries against the Wallaroos. This was a sign of what was to come at the World Cup.
Sorensen-McGee has achieved more in two years than many do in their lifetimes, and it’s just the beginning.
Braxy, we love ya, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come.
