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The untold story of women’s rugby in New Zealand has been brought to life.
The New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North has just opened a new exhibition, Herstory, of Women’s Rugby, chronicling the women’s game.
The exhibition opened on Thursday night, with the Black Ferns, who are in camp in Palmerston North, attending.
Museum director Stephen Berg was pleased to be able to fill an important gap in the history of the game in New Zealand.
‘‘The story of women’s rugby is really untold. That’s the issue we have discovered in the museum. No-one has told the story.
‘‘You can’t go to the library and pick up a book and read about women’s rugby. You can’t read about famous women’s players.’’
When Covid-19 hit last year, Berg and his team started thinking about a new exhibition and chose women’s rugby.
Rather than crying about having no tourists visit, they got to work on a positive project, Berg said.
Wellington rugby writer Adam Julian researched the modern era and he is writing profiles on all the Black Ferns.
The museum’s collections technician Catherine Hehir found a treasure trove of information.
Berg said the players were bursting with stories. The first women’s rugby game played in New Zealand was in 1888 between awellington Girls’ High School team and a Salvation Army team under hybrid rules without tackling or scrums.
A newspaper advertisement called for ‘‘20 young ladies, with parents’ consent’’ for training.
The first game played under rugby rules was in 1915 as halftime entertainment at amen’s game at Athletic Park in Wellington.
The first provincial game was in 1980 between Manawatu¯ and Hawke’s Bay.
Black Ferns captain Eloise Blackwell was learning about the history herself as she made her way through the storyboards. ‘‘I think it’s really awesome and a really good display of history through time.
‘‘It’s quite cool to reflect back and see the part that all of us have been involved with the game.’’