Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women's sports.
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The Farah Palmer Cup begins this weekend, showcasing emerging talent and veteran players despite many on international duty.
Counties Manukau Heat are strong contenders with key players like Grace Gago and Ruby Tui.
Manawatū Cyclones have been promoted, featuring experienced players like Selica Winiata and newcomers from the Black Ferns XV tour.
With all eyes on the impending kick-off of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, you’d be forgiven if the Farah Palmer Cup had slipped off your radar.
The opening round of the women’s national provincial tournament takes place this weekend, with matches being played across both divisions. Manyhometown heroes are away representing their country, which gives us a sneak peek at the talent ready to emerge, as well as past Black Ferns who still have plenty of footy in them yet.
The Counties Manukau Heat will hope that the hollowing out of starting lineups will tip the scales in their favour. The South Aucklanders went down to Canterbury in the 80th minute of last year’s semifinal. This season, Canterbury and the other semifinalist, the Auckland Storm, are both down eight of their regular starters. And last year’s premiership winner, Waikato, have seven away on Black Ferns duty.
This leaves the Heat looking comparatively stacked. They have Black Ferns caps across their front row in Grace Gago, Leilani Perese and Aotearoa Katie Matau. Hazel Tubic is returning to steer the ship both at No 10 and as an assistant coach. They’ve managed to pick up a very handy recruitment in Tara Turner, fresh from the Blues and Black Ferns XV.
Their back three has the formidable finishers of Jaymie Kolose, Mererangi Paul and Ruby Tui. I hope all of Tui’s fans who miss seeing her on the world stage turn up in force at Pukekohe.
Waikato has a new, old coach. Reuben Samuel returns to the reigning champions a decade after he last coached this team. Instrumental in the return of Waikato to the FPC in 2012, he has since gone on to be an assistant with the Black Ferns 7s and then run the Brazilian women’s programme.
Back to his roots, Samuel will want to prove that Waikato can maintain their winning ways – even if they are yet to lift a trophy without James Semple in charge.
The Manawatū Cyclones have been promoted this season after finally clawing their way out of the Championship. The real test is whether they can stick around. The last time they were promoted, they lasted just one season before being relegated again.
The odds are in their favour with a good blend of experience and next-generation talent. Hollyrae Mete-Renata, Sam Taylor and Elinor-Plum King will all be returning fresh from the Black Ferns XV tour, joining their Aupiki teammates Ngano Tavake, Paige Lush and the Sturmey sisters, Kahurangi and Rangimarie.
Selica Casey Winiata in action for Manawatu in the Farah Palmer Cup. Photo / SmartFrame
Selica Winiata will play in the green and white until her legs give out. She features once again for Manawatū, 24 years after her debut season. If there were a contender for the women’s version of Southland stalwart Jason Rutledge, Winiata would be quickly closing in on Emma Jensen’s claim.
In the Championship, the Northland Kauri have been relegated back down, but won’t want to stay there. Janna Vaughn, in her second season as head coach, will be up against fierce competition from last year’s finalists Otago Spirit and the embattled Wellington Pride.
The Spirit have named 10 debutants within their squad, along with six players from Matatū and two more from the Super W. The Pride have more players away for Samoa than they do the Black Ferns, but still host plenty of experience.
It’s years like this, when many players are out on international duty, that we get to see what the Farah Palmer Cup does best: allowing veterans to play on and new sparks to light the competition up. It’s where we get to see the best of New Zealand women’s rugby, past, present and future.
