Black Ferns, NZ Women’s Rugby Team to play Bledisloe Cup curtain raiser against Australian Wallaroos
In a coup for Women’s International rugby, the New Zealand (NZ) women’s rugby team; known Internationally as the Black Ferns, will play Australia before the Bledisloe Cup match in October at Eden Park.
In a media release from NZ Rugby, the scheduled match between the Black Ferns and the ‘Wallaroos’ (the nickname for the women’s national team) will support the All Blacks hosting the Wallabies test match. That game will contest the greatest prize in trans-tasman rugby, the Bledisloe Cup (pictured) on October 22.
Black Ferns fans can watch them take on Australia on October 22 at Eden Park. They will play again on October 26 at QBE Stadium on the North Shore of Auckland. The matches feature in the Black Ferns’ 2016 international programme announced today.
Wallaroos head coach, Paul Verrell said “We are really looking forward to playing New Zealand. Our paths didn’t cross at the last World Cup and we are keen to improve on our performance when we last played in mid-2014. “Taking on New Zealand is one of the great traditions in Australian Rugby and we look forward to continuing this rivalry in October.” he told ESPN Australia.
Build up to 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup begins
The Black Ferns will benefit from the two match series against the Wallaroos. The series will help prepare the squad for their end of year tour to the United Kingdom. The tour sees the national women’s side take on Canada, Ireland and England in the United Kingdom in November.
Black Ferns Coach Glenn Moore said the five Test matches are an important part of the build up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland in August 2017.
“This is a very big year for the Black Ferns and we’re really excited about the programme. Last year there were 12 new caps in the side we took to Canada and they proved themselves on a world stage. This year we’ll be looking to build on our success and begin our preparation for the World Cup.
“We’ve been running a training, and strength and conditioning programme for more than 50 players since the beginning of the year and the players have been working really hard. We’re looking at the pool of players now and the Farah Palmer Cup will be vital for helping finalize our squad” Moore told allblacks.com.
The growth of women’s rugby has been recognized as a key strategy for NZ Rugby. The increased participation is a positive for the sport. These matches give increased exposure for the Black Ferns. Steve Tew [NZ Rugby CEO] believes this programme underlines the reputation of the team. It is also a chance to showcase the country’s top players on the international stage.
“This year’s international programme also gives the team a chance to play in front of their New Zealand fans, family and friends. The match against the Wallaroos at Eden Park will make for an exciting double header of Trans-Tasman rugby.”
2016 Farah Palmer Cup
This schedule occurs after the former Women’s Provincial Championship competition concludes. Now renamed the Farah Palmer Cup after the iconic figure in NZ women’s rugby. A total of nine provinces will compete for the championship – Auckland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Manawatu, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago.
The round-robin championship begins on August 22. It leads up to the semifinals on September 24. The Farah Palmer Cup champions to be determined in the Final on Saturday 1 October.
The competition here will proceed a Black Ferns squad announcement and training camp. Head coach Glenn Moore will select the team to play the Wallaroos from that squad–the visitors will themselves play a warm-up match against the Auckland Storm on October 18 (time/venue tbc)
Home Series
Saturday October 22 – New Zealand Black Ferns v Australian Wallaroos, Eden Park, Auckland
Wednesday October 26 – New Zealand Black Ferns v Australian Wallaroos, QBE Stadium, Auckland
End of Year Tour
Saturday November 19 – New Zealand Black Ferns v England, The Stoop Twickenham, London
Wednesday November 23 – New Zealand Black Ferns v Canada, Doonybrook Stadium, Dublin
Sunday November 27 – New Zealand Black Ferns v Ireland, The Bowl, UND, Dublin
