New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (RPA) have settled on a new three-year Collective Agreement for professional rugby in New Zealand from 2026 to 2028. To be referred to as a Partnership Agreement moving forward, the settlement terms reinforce a commitment between NZR and the Players to drive excellence on and
Whitney Hansen has been announced as the new Black Ferns Head Coach after being appointed through to the end of 2027. Hansen succeeds Allan Bunting as the 13th Black Ferns Head Coach since Laurie O’Reilly took the reins in 1991, and second woman to hold the position after Vicky Dombroski in 1994. She will oversee
New Zealand Rugby will re-ignite the search for future Sevens stars with a fourth edition of the highly successful Ignite7 tournament at Blake Park in Tauranga on 1-2 November. Forty-eight promising young athletes will be selected to fill each of the four men’s and four women’s squads for a two-day tournament designed to unearth players
Black Ferns legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has today announced she will step out of international retirement with her sights set on a third Rugby World Cup campaign. Woodman-Wickliffe has signed an eight-month contract with New Zealand Rugby and is set to join the Black Ferns in their first assembly this weekend. A global star of the
Four regional combines to unearth new women’s rugby talent Top 30 athletes to be invited to a national combine in Wellington Open to women and girls aged 16-25 with no prior rugby experience required Talent search focused on 2029 Rugby World Cup and 2032 Olympics New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has launched Next Ferns, a nationwide
Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Simon has extended her contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the Black Ferns through to 2028. The contract is the longest commitment signed by a women’s fifteens player in New Zealand, with Black Ferns fifteens professional contracts introduced in 2018. Since her debut for the Black Ferns against the USA
An epic series of afternoon kick-offs in Hamilton, Christchurch and Auckland will be a feature of the Black Ferns Pacific Four Series schedule as they set out to defend their title in 2024. The Black Ferns will start their Pacific Four Series against USA at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday 11 May at
The All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens hit the road this weekend ahead of back to back tournaments in Vancouver and Los Angeles on the SVNS Series. Both teams are aiming for improved performances later this month and are bolstered by returning players. Andrew Knewstubb has been selected in the travelling squad, having been
A new-look development referee programme has been introduced in 2024 and features more than 70 of the country’s leading referees. The programme sees the traditional High Performance squad disbanded in favour of a regional model which will allow more referees the exposure to development and training. Split along Super Rugby regional lines, the five squads
Black Ferns lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos will lead the Black Ferns in their final Test match of the Pacific Four Series when they face USA at TD Place in Ottawa on Friday afternoon, 4.00pm (CEDT), Saturday morning 8.00am (NZT). An exciting selection changes have been made to the twenty-three, with Black Ferns Director of Rugby Allan
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