RUGBY WORLD CUP NEW ZEALAND 2021

The BLACK FERNS celebrate winning RUGBY WORLD CUP 2017.

WOMEN’S RUGBY TO SHINE: RUGBY WORLD CUP 2021 IS HERE

by PETER WHITE The rise of women’s rugby is set to continue when the much-anticipated Rugby World Cup 2021 finally gets underway in New Zealand later this year.

It has taken five long years, after a 12-month COVID postponement, but the pinnacle event of women’s rugby is back.

The ninth edition of the tournament will be hosted by reigning champions New Zealand for the very first time. Rugby World Cup takes place over five weeks in October and November, with 26 matches to be played across Auckland’s Eden Park and Waitākere Stadium, and Whangarei’s Northland Events Centre. The pool phase will feature triple-header match days giving fans the opportunity to see three international rugby matches with just a single ticket. The knockout stages will feature double-header match days, along with festivities, entertainment, food and activities for the whole family. Ticket prices start from $5 for children and $10 for adults, which represents outstanding value in today’s entertainment market. The Black Ferns have won five of the eight titles contested for since the tournament began in 1991, with England champions in 1994 and 2014 and runners-up five times. There is no doubt England will start as massive favourites. Their recent dominance of international women’s rugby has been total, with an unbeaten streak of 23 games. Last year, they defeated the Black Ferns 43–12 and 56–15 in the November internationals played in England. Earlier this year New Zealand Rugby appointed former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith as Black Ferns head coach. He wasted no time getting into his work and, along with assistant coaches Wesley Clarke and Whitney Hansen, has quickly turned things around. In June, the Black Ferns defeated Australia, Canada and the United States to comfortably win the Pacific Four series held in New Zealand. While that series was not against England or second favourites France, who also defeated the Black Ferns in two tests in November, it was a positive step forward. Smith was pleased with the attacking mindset shown by his team, despite the difficult playing conditions they encountered. The Black Ferns blooded 11 test debutants in the Pacific Four series, about one-third of the squad, which is encouraging for the upcoming O'Reilly Cup games (against Australia on August 20 in Christchurch and August 27 at the Adelaide Oval) and Rugby World Cup games to follow. There are several experienced players who missed the Pacific Four series who could return for those games, including former vice-captain Eloise Blackwell, last season’s Black Fern Player of the Year Kennedy Simon, 38-test prop Aleisha-Pearl Nelson and 2017 World Cup winner Charmaine McMenamin. Add sevens stars Kelly Brazier, Portia Woodman and Stacey Fluhler, who may be available after the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the Black Ferns will have excellent depth. The opening round of Rugby World Cup has thrown together some mouth-watering matches, none bigger than the one that will headline the opening day at Eden Park. In pool A, the Black Ferns take on the Australian Wallaroos in what is sure to attract a bumper crowd to the home of New Zealand rugby. The two sides met in Tauranga in June during the Pacific Four series. The Wallaroos scored the opening try but the Black Ferns replied with tries from Ayesha Leti-I’iga (2), Alana Bremner and Kaipo Olsen-Baker to win 23–10. With pool games to come against Scotland and Wales, the winner of that opening-round trans-Tasman clash will be in prime position to progress through to the quarter-finals. Favourites England and France are drawn together in pool C. Their pool game on October 15 at the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei will be fascinating to see which of the Northern Hemisphere powerhouses can take an early advantage.