Northland Black Fern Portia Woodman could be delighting her home fans with the team set to play in Whangārei during this year's Women's Rugby World Cup.
Northland Black Fern Portia Woodman could be delighting her home fans with the team set to play in Whangārei during this year's Women's Rugby World Cup.
Northland rugby fans are in for a treat with all the world's major rugby nations set to play games in Whangārei during September's Women's Rugby World Cup, with the city hosting the tournament's opening game.
The schedule for the Women's Rugby World Cup was released this morning, with Whangārei setto host every team playing in the 12-strong competition, including reigning World Cup holders the Black Ferns, England, Australia, South Africa and France.
With a number of Northlanders competing to get in the Black Ferns squad, including Portia Woodman, Leilani Perese, Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Aroha Savage, Eloise Blackwell, Krystal Murray, Jay Jay Taylor and Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, there is expected to be huge interest in the team's game.
The Black Ferns are scheduled to play a yet-to-qualify team at Northland Events Centre on September 28.
The games are expected to bring thousands of people into Northland, and a huge financial fillip for the region.
The tournament will start in Whangārei on September 18, with the first match of the tournament - the US against a yet-to-qualify European team - kicking off at Northland Events Centre at 11.45am.
The game is the first of a triple header at the venue, with a match between a yet-to-qualify Asian team against Canada at 2.15pm, then Wales against a yet-to-qualify team at 4.45pm.
There's another triple header at Northland Events Centre on September 23, with France v Fiji at 2.15pm; a yet-to-qualify team v Australia at 4.45pm then the big match up between 2017 runners-up England and South Africa at 7.15pm.
September 28 will see another triple header, with Australia against Wales at 2.15pm, followed by the Black Ferns game at 4.45pm, then traditional rivals France and England at 7.15pm.
In what will be the competition's first trip to the southern hemisphere, Whangārei will also host two quarter-finals, on October 3 at 4.15pm between the second and seventh seeds and 7.15pm between the first and eighth seeds.
With the Black Ferns strong favourites to end the pool stage as first or second seeds, it's likely the team will play in one of those quarter-finals.
The semifinals will be played at Eden Park on October 9, with the final, and third/fourth place play off, also at Eden Park on October 16.
Black Ferns players, Kendra Cocksedge, Les Ketu and Selica Winiata with the Women's Rugby World Cup they won in 2017. They hope to retain it this year.
The Black Ferns have won the Women's Rugby World Cup a record five times and Black Ferns star Woodman was named women's Sevens player of the decade late last year.
Woodman won two other awards including Sevens try of the decade and she was named in the XVs team of the decade.
Pool A: New Zealand; Australia; Wales; yet-to-qualify team.
Pool B: Canada; USA; yet-to-qualify team from Europe, yet-to-qualify team from Asia.
