New Zealand Rugby confirmed the Black Ferns trial match at Navigation Homes Stadium Friday week, one which will include the majority of players who featured in the Pacific Four Series.
Following the trial, players will return to their provincial unions for the start of the Farah Palmer Cup, with the Black Ferns squad for the O’Reilly Cup Series to be named later in July.
Black Ferns Trial
Ngalingali v Rawata
Friday 8 July, kick off 7.05pm
Navigation Homes Stadium
The match will feature the majority of the squad that took part in the Pacific Four Series, with an additional 18 of the country’s leading players. Dubbed Ngalingali v Rawata (‘possibles’ in Tongan and Fijian) the match will kick off at 7.05pm on Friday 8 July at Navigation Homes Stadium and will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.
Leading coaches Anna Richards, Scott Manson, Crystal Kaua and Victoria Grant will lead the two teams, with the Black Ferns coaching group of Wayne Smith, Wesley Clarke and Whitney Hansen watching on.
GUYYSSSS … Get your tickets RIGHT NOW!!!#RWC2021
— Black Ferns (@BlackFerns) June 30, 2022
Black Ferns Director of Rugby Wayne Smith said adding this trial to the women’s rugby calendar was an important opportunity to pit the country’s best players against each other.
“Quite simply put, there are players we need to see. We’ve given messages to those players who had been in camps and weren’t quite ready for PAC4, this is their chance to put their form on the track.
“We’ll have 18 players from outside of the PAC4 squad take part in the trial, some have been greats of the game, some have been best in the world, so we expect this match to be very competitive,” said Smith.
Following the trial, players will return to their provincial unions for the start of the Farah Palmer Cup, with the Black Ferns squad for the O’Reilly Cup Series to be named later in July.
The Black Ferns trial kicks off at 7.05pm on Friday at Navigation Homes Stadium. Tickets are available here or you can watch live on Sky Sport.
The trial teams are:
Rawata: Eloise Blackwell, Chelsea Bremner, Ruahei Demant, Amy du Plessis, Victoria Edmonds, Maia Joseph, Tanya Kalounivale, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Krystal Murray, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Georgia Ponsonby, Kendra Reynolds, Chelsea Semple, Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, Pia Tapsell, Steph Te Ohaere-Fox, Kelsey Teneti, Hazel Tubic, Ruby Tui, Chryss Viliko, Renee Wickliffe.
Ngalingali: Lucy Anderson, Alana Bremner, Kendra Cocksedge, Luka Connor, Carys Dallinger, Natalie Delamere, Les Elder, Di Hiini, Carla Hohepa, Renee Holmes, Tysha Ikenasio, Tafito Lafaele, Patricia Maliepo, Charmaine McMenamin, Angel Mulu, Jackie Patea-Fereti, Leilani Perese, Cheyelle Robins-Reti, Amy Rule, Charmaine Smith, Grace Steinmetz, Monica Tagoai, Janna Vaughan, Kelsie Wills
Players unavailable for selection include Pip Love, Grace Brooker, Ariana Bayler, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Iritana Hohaia.