A bit of Black Ferns inspiration

BLACK Ferns Kendra Cocksedge is almost always the smallest player in the huddle.

That is often true even when she is running a holiday programme for children.

A couple of potential future Black Ferns towered over her yesterday.

The diminutive 32yearold halfback was in Dunedin to run a training camp for girls year 8 and under, and told the Otago Daily

Times that after the year we have all had, it was tremendous to see so many smiles.

‘‘I just love being out and inspiring these younger girls because I never got the opportunity to run around with other girls — it was always with the boys,’’ she said.

‘‘Girls are fitter, stronger and technically and tactically better these days. The more we can grow that, the better teams are going to get.’’

Covid19 has presented everyone with challenges this year, including the Black Ferns, who had their international programme rubbed out.

New Zealand Rugby had hoped to arrange a series of games for the Black Ferns against Australia.

But that fell through so the team will play three internal matches instead.

The Possibles will play the Probables on November 7 and the Black Ferns will then play the New Zealand Barbarians on

November 14 and 21.

‘‘I believe we have the best players here in New Zealand in the world, so us playing against each other is probably the best prep you can actually get.’’

The Farah Palmer Cup is also proving good preparation. Cocksedge’s Canterbury team is chasing a fourth consecutive title.

It crushed the Otago Spirit 8510 in week three.

Despite the lesson dished out, Cocksedge had kind words for the Otago team.

‘‘The Spirit have got the girls there who are very talented and they will get there. I think every year the women’s game and the Farah Palmer Cup just gets stronger and stronger.

‘‘We’ve had the Black Ferns seven girls come back in and obviously with the high performance programmes that are around the country the standard is just lifting each year.’’

Cocksedge is in her 14th season and the next World Cup will be her fourth.

PHOTOS: GREGOR RICHARDSON Future Ferns? . . . Black Ferns halfback Kendra Cocksedge (top right) directs traffic while (clockwise from bottom right) Ruby Smith (10), of Silverstream School, Jasmine Hill (12), of Abbotsford School, and Brooke RattenJohnson (9), of St Clair School, charge the ball up during a New Zealand Rugby holiday camp programme at the North Ground yesterday.