Joanah Ngan-Woo of the Hurricanes Poua. Photo / Getty
As the countdown to the Super Rugby Aupiki 2024 kickoff on Saturday gathers momentum, Bonnie Jansen examines the talking points.
Chiefs Manawa: No team recruited better for the 2024 season than Chiefs Manawa. They signed some of Matatū’s biggest names, Renee Holmes and Grace Steinmetz, while Chelsea Semple returns from maternity leave. But their most notable signing comes in the form of Black Fern Ruby Tui, who returns to the New Zealand competition after skipping the 2023 season to play sevens in America. Alongside the big names, the Chiefs have an impressive amount of depth and, after making the final in Aupiki’s first two seasons, they are very much favourites to do it again.
Blues: After being thrashed 35-0 in the 2022 final and finishing third last year, the Blues should be more competitive this season. With Black Ferns captain Ruahei Demant leading the team, there’s plenty more firepower behind her. Like Manawa, the Auckland franchise has signed big names including World Rugby’s 2023 Women’s Breakthrough Player of the Year Katelyn Vahaakolo. Plenty of the Blues squad come off the back of winning a Farah Palmer Cup title and knowing their likely toughest competition this year is just 90 minutes up the road should make them hungry for their first piece of Aupiki silverware.
Matatū: Defending champions Matatū have every reason to come out firing this season. After not winning a game in 2022 to taking out the competition a year later, there’s a target on their back. But after losing key players in Holmes and Steinmetz, it’s hard to imagine they’ll compete at the level they did 12 months ago. However, the team is in good hands with former Black Ferns assistant coach Whitney Hansen stepping into the head coaching role and she will look to build on 2023′s success. Seasoned Black Ferns Alana Bremner, Georgia Ponsonby and Pip Love will help lead the side while rising stars Amy du Plessis and Martha Mataele have plenty to offer.
Hurricanes Poua: After being runners-up in Aupiki year one, Poua dropped to last in 2023. The goal for this extended season is surely not to repeat recent history but that task will be tough with their current roster. The most experienced player in the squad is Joanah Ngan-Woo, who is remembered for her power-play that won the Rugby World Cup two years ago. Since then she’s dropped out of the Black Ferns squad, leaving only Layla Sae and Iritana Hohaia as Wellington’s representatives. Poua pride themselves on their physicality but, in a game that’s evolving in many aspects, will it be enough?
The Black Ferns are renowned for their run-it-straight approach on the field, which has historically posed a challenge for opponents. Nonetheless, Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting recognises northern hemisphere nations in particular are beginning to decipher this strategy, prompting the Ferns to seek ways to reintroduce more unpredictability.
With that in mind, Bunting said there’s plenty to play for in Super Rugby Aupiki, including national team contracts. He told the Herald he’ll have an eager eye on players with strong kicking abilities, an aspect of the game that New Zealand is currently lacking.
“There’s a part in women’s rugby that we need to build and that’s to kick a little bit more and play in the right area of the field.
“That kick strategy is going to be something that is going to be implemented and we’ll get ladies kicking.”
New Zealand Rugby’s extension of Super Rugby Aupiki from four to eight weeks elicited mixed reactions from players. While it fulfilled some desires, it also fell short in several aspects. The expansion was both overhyped and underwhelming.
Last year, New Zealand were beaten by France and England in the WXV1, ending the inaugural tournament in fourth place. It marked further evidence of the North closing the gap on the once-dominant Black Ferns.
A sharp contrast exists between the women’s rugby structures in New Zealand and England (despite rugby being in Aotearoa’s DNA). While the English women’s competition runs from November to June, New Zealand’s professional league comprises only four teams, engaging in home-and-away fixtures before the playoffs and final.
Critically, Super Rugby Aupiki still lacks full professionalism. Although the extension introduced improvements such as a longer pre-season training regimen and increased player payments, the competition remains semi-professional. Non-Black Ferns players under contract will now receive a minimum payment of $17,000 for the season, more than doubling their previous earnings. Yet, many players still juggle their rugby careers with other employment and family responsibilities, raising concerns about potential burnout.
It serves as a cautionary tale for New Zealand Rugby. Without significant enhancements to the domestic women’s rugby landscape, the Black Ferns risk further decline in the global hierarchy.
Niall Williams-Guthrie (Blues): Former Black Ferns Sevens representative Niall Williams-Guthrie is bringing her talents to the Blues for 2024. Sister of dual New Zealand representative Sonny Bill Williams, Williams-Guthrie has had a decorated career with the Black Ferns Sevens and comes fresh off an NRLW season with the Gold Coast Titans.
Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua): Sae was one of the newly contacted Black Ferns in 2023. The energetic, abrasive and athletic loose forward, a standout for the Poua in Super Rugby Aupiki, isn’t always naturally conditioned to produce high-octane performances. The 21-year-old has type 1 diabetes, from which she’s suffered since she was 4. While the Poua were frustratingly inconsistent last season, Sae was a source of strength and stability. She was the seventh-highest tackler with 51 and carried combatively to capture the attention of the Black Ferns selectors.
Chelsea Semple (Chiefs Manawa): Semple is making her long-awaited return after an injury, followed by maternity leave. The 31-year-old made her Black Ferns debut 10 years ago and has amassed 29 tests, while also representing Auckland, North Harbour, Waikato and Chiefs Manawa. She hasn’t played since August 2022. Having spent some time as a Sky Sport presenter, she is ready to be back with her rugby whānau.
Angelica Mekemeke Vahai (Blues): Winger Mekemeke Vahai was a standout performer for the victorious Auckland Storm in the 2023 Farah Palmer Cup. She finished the season as the top try-scorer (12) while also topping the run metres chart with 844m for the season. Her performances were recognised with selection in the inaugural Black Ferns XV squad, where she continued to impress.
Lucy Jenkins (Matatū): A relentless loose forward, Jenkins was named the MVP of last year’s competition and went on to make her mark in a black jersey. She sets the tone with a high work rate, notches up plenty of tackles, has an impact at the breakdown and carries with intent. Black Ferns head coach Allan Bunting said of her 2023 performance: “I could have named her the player of Aupiki before the final.” She’ll be looking to repeat that in 2024.
Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a keen footballer, has worked with the Alternative Commentary Collective and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a full-time journalist.
Former All Blacks' frustrations began before he coached his first All Blacks test.