We were told at the time of launch this development side represented a crucial step on our high-performance pathway. One that would give the opportunity to develop a wide pool of players, coaches and management in the lead-up to Rugby World Cup 2025.
Well, the Black Ferns XV must have been very successful because it appears New Zealand Rugby believes it fully developed everyone last year. Why else would it have shelved this development opportunity with the World Cup just around the corner?
Or perhaps it is now treating WXV as its development space.
The coaching team certainly are. There were a number of selections for the end-of-year tour that raised eyebrows with their rapid ascension. Young game drivers Hannah King and Maia Joseph were thrown in the deep end against England twice.
Converted prop Marcelle Parkes was given a start against the formidable Irish pack. It is asking a lot to have these players learn so publicly. But the reality is, right now, it’s the only place they can.
With Black Ferns XV retired, the only action they could join back home is the six guaranteed games in the round-robin of the Farah Palmer Cup. This amateur league is hardly the place to build champions. To have another level up, they would have to wait until next year and the six guaranteed games of Super Rugby Aupiki.
With time quickly running out before the kickoff of our Rugby World Cup defence, you can understand why coaches are opting for this crash course in international rugby.
While we parked development pathways for another year, our rivals have grown theirs. Members of the Six Nations have an under-18 and under-20 competition now under the same banner. A quadrangle tournament was organised this year between the USA, Canada, England and Wales under-20 sides.
South Africa have leveraged their position as hosts of the WXV2 to play a provincial under-20s competition, leading to the selection of a Junior Springbok team to play Tunisia and Uganda. Were we to get our act together here, you have the bones of a Women’s Under-20 World Cup with 10 proud rugby nations taking part.
It’s not just age-grade teams that have been in action this year. Australia have reassembled their Australia A team and played a one-off match against Samoa. The Canadians, meanwhile, have their Canada Select team.
This development side went on a tour to Spain where they played a two-match series. Both of these instances were mutually beneficial as Spain and Samoa needed game time ahead of their last shot at World Cup qualification. It would be doubtful that either side or the others still in contention would have turned down an opportunity to play a New Zealand team.
While we have stood still, the rest of the world has caught up. This lack of development is clearly impacting our high-performance side. The results of the WXV proving the Black Ferns are struggling to grow up and show up at the same time.
It is true these losses now may help us learn for future victory, as was the case in the last World Cup cycle. But we need to stop asking individual talent to bridge the gaps in our high-performance pathways. Build a solid platform for them to stand on and who knows how towering their accomplishments may be.
