NZ women two years, no tests

The Black Ferns will go more than two years without playing a test match because of

Covid-19’s impact on the sporting calendar. September is the earliest date New Zealand Rugby (NZR) hopes to schedule tests for the Black Ferns, NZR head of women’s rugby Cate Sexton told Stuff, and an overseas tour is being considered for October-November.

Their last test was against Australia at Eden Park on August 17, 2019, a match they won 37-8 to retain the Laurie O’Reilly Memorial Trophy (which has since been renamed the O’Reilly Cup).

Sexton said opening the trans-Tasman bubble, starting on April 19, means arranging tests against the Wallaroos this year will be far easier because of quarantine-free travel between the countries.

However, she said there was no guarantee of hosting tests in New Zealand in 2021.

‘‘That would be ideal, but I’m not sure if it will play out exactly like that,’’ Sexton said.

‘‘We’ve got a very strong desire to at least play some tests in New Zealand, particularly for our fans, our partners, our families, and for the players to play at home prior to the World Cup next year.’’

One of the biggest obstacles is the required

14 days in managed isolation for arrivals into New Zealand, as well as similar restrictions in other countries because of Covid-19 protocols.

With a trans-Tasman bubble, that wouldn’t be an issue for the Wallaroos, who are likely to be the Black Ferns’ next opponents, but a Pacific competition in Australia with Canada and the United States is ‘‘one option on the table’’ for September’s test window, Sexton said.

‘‘We’re trying to work out how we can make that work,’’ she said.

That would provide each team with muchneeded meaningful test matches and be welcomed after an absence of fixtures in 2020, although planning in the middle of a pandemic is still a logistical nightmare.

Australia won hosting rights last year for the men’s Rugby Championship ahead of New Zealand.

‘‘Their bid was the most desirable and workable in terms of tournament logistics,’’ organisers Sanzaar said, and Australia could be better suited to hosting an international women’s competition later this year.

The Black Ferns were due to defend the World Cup on home soil in September, but the tournament was last month postponed until 2022 because of Covid-19 complications.

That ‘‘devastated’’ some Black Ferns stars, but Sexton said they had moved on after addressing the disappointment at their training camp in March.

While the Black Ferns operate as a semiprofessional team, some of their rivals in the women’s game are still essentially amateur and spending weeks in managed isolation is not viable for many players because of financial costs and work commitments. The Black Ferns would have to consider the same issues, too, if they went overseas.

Sexton said NZR was working to arrange tests against Australia, Canada and the United States, as well as European heavyweights such as England and France, and that talks were positive ahead of a scheduling announcement for late April or early May.