Women’s Rugby World Cup: Why Black Ferns are falling behind rivals in women’s rugby development - Alice Soper

Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane and Kaipo Olsen-Baker react to the Black Ferns' loss to Canada. Photo / Getty Images

THREE KEY FACTS

• The Black Ferns were outplayed by Canada in the Rugby World Cup semifinal, highlighting a growing play gap.
• New Zealand’s domestic rugby schedule is insufficient, with Super Rugby Aupiki and Farah Palmer Cup offering limited games.
• Canada’s strong domestic competition and strategic planning have given them an edge over New Zealand.

The Black Ferns were outplayed by Canada in the Rugby World Cup semifinal just as New Zealand Rugby have been outplayed in their programming this cycle.

The pay gap is one thing, but of growing concern is the play gap that exists between the Black Ferns and the rest of their competitors.

This loss has been coming. The issues underpinning it emerged in 2014 when the Black Ferns were knocked out of the World Cup by Ireland in pool play.

At that time, New Zealand had little domestic rugby and even fewer tests to prepare the Black Ferns. This scheduling issue was promptly overlooked thanks to rugby sevens being introduced into the Olympics.

The experience of these sevens athletes covered the shortfall in fifteens, helping to bring the World Cup back home in 2017. In 2022, Covid had shut the world down, removing the playing advantage other nations had over us. But in 2025, this gap is now too big to ignore.

It’s pretty simple really, in order to be good at rugby you need to play good rugby. Women in New Zealand just aren’t doing that enough.

Since the last World Cup, Super Rugby Aupiki has stalled at six games per season and a final if you’re lucky. The Farah Palmer Cup is around the same. World Rugby’s WXV has brought more matches for those playing in the black jersey and they have managed to assemble a development team twice in three years. But the fact that we are playing more rugby on the international stage than we are domestically needs to be addressed yesterday.

While our domestic scene flounders, England’s PWR is only picking up steam. A quarter of the players at this World Cup currently feature in England’s domestic competition. That includes over half of the Canadian World Cup side and most of Wales and Scotland. It’s a competition so strong that it has arguably carried both teams to the World Cup final as well as helping fill the stands to cheer them on.

Back home, we’ve seen more camps but not enough campaigns. And when we do play, more often than not it’s against ourselves and not a true test.

This was true of the Black Ferns in the lead-up to this World Cup, who had 42 days between their final test and the kickoff of this tournament. As well as age-grade opportunities, like the one-off match at the Under 18s camp earlier this year. Meanwhile, offshore there has been the creation of an Under 20s Six Nations series along with a transatlantic Under 20s competition featuring teams from USA and Canada.

You can talk all you like about our geographic isolation or lack of available resources but Canada’s approach counters all arguments. What they have lacked in resources they have more than made up in vision.

Leveraging wealthier nations’ competition to give their talent a strong domestic footing. When planning for this tournament, Canada knew their union couldn’t cover it all so rather than cut back, they reached out. To their community, to other developing nations. To raise funds and create a schedule worthy of champions.

If test rugby is the test of a domestic offering, it’s no wonder New Zealand are currently falling short. A handful of games each year is not enough to identify let alone develop talent. If the Black Ferns wish to return to the top they need to play there. New Zealand Rugby need to enable our women to play good rugby, from the grassroots up.

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.