A New Zealand university has begun offering grief counselling to devastated fans in the wake of the All Blacks' 43-31 World Cup semi-final defeat by France.

Massey University's Palmerston North campus, believing the defeat may have a crushing effect on the nation's collective psyche, has released a list of experts willing to help those struggling to cope with the defeat, which has been received as a major national disaster.

Dr Graeme Bassett, of the School of English and Media Studies, said: "It is as if the team represents the self-worth of the country."