All Black Ferns Named For Rugby World Cup Opening Match

New Zealand Black Ferns coach Wayne Smith has named his side to face Australia in the opening match of the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup at Auckland Eden Park on Saturday night.

New Zealand Black Ferns: 

Renee Holmes, Ruby Tui, Stacey Fluhler, Amy du Plessis, Portia Woodman, Ruahei Demant (c), Kendra Cocksedge, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Sarah Hirini, Charmaine McMenamin, Chelsea Bremner, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Amy Rule, Luka Connor, Phillipa Love

Reserves: 

Georgia Ponsonby, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, Santo Taumata, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Kendra Reynolds, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Hazel Tubic, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai’i (Sylvia) Brunt

Black Ferns Win Pacific Four Series

The Black Ferns have beaten the USA Eagles 50-6 in Whangarei on Saturday to win the Pacific Four Series. In a match played in wet conditions, the Black Ferns scored eight tries, with wing Ayesha Leti-I’iga scoring a hat-trick.  

In the earlier match Canada had beaten the Australian Wallaroo's 22-10

New Zealand Black Ferns: 50 

Tries: Ayesha Leti-I’iga 3, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Renee Holmes, Sylvia Brunt, Kendra Reynolds, Renee Wickliffe, Conversions: Hazel Tubic 3, Ruahei Demant, Renee Holmes 

USA Eagles: 6

Penalties: Megan Foster 2 

Farah Palmer Cup Semi-Final Matches

The preliminary finals of the Farah Palmer Cup take place this weekend, where Waikato and Wellington will play in Hamilton to see who faces Canterbury in the premiership final, and Northland will play Hawkes Bay in Whangarei to see who face Manawatu in the championship final. Several teams will loose players to a Black Ferns training camp in Mount Maunganui ahead of European tests against England and France in October, with Waikato having nine unavailable, Northland two, and Wellington three.

Championship Division: Northland v Hawke’s Bay, Friday at 4:35pm, Semenoff Stadium, Whangarei

Premiership Division: Waikato v Wellington, Saturday at 12:05pm, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Manawatu v Canterbury, Saturday 2nd October, 2.05pm, Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North (non-competition match)

Black Ferns Sevens Win Gold In Tokyo

The All Black Ferns women's sevens side has beaten France 26-12 to win gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The New Zealand side had progressed to the final after a close 22-17 win over Fiji in the semi-final after scoring a golden point try in extra time. The play-off for bronze saw Fiji beat Great Britain 21-12.

Semi-Final:  

New Zealand: 22 

Tries: Gayle Broughton 2, Stacey Fluhler, Portia Woodman, Conversion: Tyla Nathan-Wong 

Fiji: 17 

Tries: Reapi Ulunasau, Vasiti Solikoviti, Conversion: Viniana Riwai

Final:

New Zealand: 26 

Tries: Michaela Blyde, Gayle Broughton, Stacey Fluhler, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Conversion: Nathan-Wong 3

France: 12 

Tries: Caroline Drouin, Anne-Cecile Ciofani, Conversion: Ciofani

Farah Palmer Cup Week Two Results

Week two of the Farah Palmer Cup saw a full round of matches, with wins to North Harbour at home over Tasman, Northland over Hawkes Bay in Napier, Canterbury over Waikato in Hamilton, Manawatu over Taranaki at home, Counties Manukau over Bay of Plenty at home, and Auckland over Otago in Dunedin. 

North Harbour: 35 

Tries: Hayley Hutana, Jade Wong, Anita Berry, Kate Williams, Ciara O'Connor, Conversions: Hutana 2, Penalties: Hutana 2 

Tasman: 32 

Tries: Easter Savelio, Eleri James-Smithers, Karla Wright-Akeli, Jess Foster-Lawrence, Eve Findlay, Conversions: Findlay 2, Penalty: Finlay

Canterbury 24 

Tries: Kendra Cocksedge 2, Grace Steinmetz, Conversions: Cocksedge 3, Penalty: Cocksedge

Waikato: 17 

Tries: Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Tanya Kalounivale, Kelsey Teneti, Conversion: Chelsea Alley

Northland Kauri: 46 

Tries: Kamila Wihongi, Sela Moata'ane, Hikitia Wikaira, Timara Leaf, Krystal Murray 2, Hinewai Pomare, Holli O'Sullivan, Conversions: Leilani Erwin, Murray, Tyler Nankiville

Hawke's Bay: 31 

Tries: Michaela Baker 2, Harmony Kautai 2, Moomooga Palu, Conversions: Krysten Cottrell

Manawatu: 48 

Tries: Janna Michel Vaughan 2, Lucy Brown 2, Crystal Mayes 2, Lauren Basillie 2, Conversions: Carys Dallinger 4 

Taranaki: 5 

Try: Aroha Nuku

Counties Manukau: 21 

Tries: Leilani Perese, Aeron Kalela Warbrooke, Conversion: Hazel Tubic, Penalties: Tubic 3

Bay of Plenty: 13 

Tries: Manaia Nuku, Karli Faneva, Penalty: Kalyn Takitimu-Cook

Auckland: 39 

Tries: Tafito Lafaele 2, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Natahlia Moors, Cristo Tofa, Conversions: Ruahei Demant 4, Penalties: Demant 2

Otago: 15 

Tries: Keely Hill, Oceana Campbell, Conversion: Sheree Hume, Penalty: Hume