Blues assistant ready for Super challenge
New Zealand’s women’s rugby players have to make a couple of big leaps to get from the grassroots to the world stage.
First they go from club rugby to the Farah Palmer Cup, which can often be a challenge by itself.
Then a select few who are chosen to go from provincial rugby to the Black Ferns, where they face the best of the best from around the world.
As things stand, there’s an important step missing – one their male counterparts have had for 25 years and counting in the form of Super Rugby.
But with the Blues and Chiefs bringing women’s teams together for a historic meeting at Eden Park this Saturday, as a precursor to what will hopefully be a fully-fledged competition in 2022, that pathway is set to change.
Northland Kauri coach Cheryl Smith is on the Blues’ staff this week, working alongside fellow former Black Fern Anna Richards under Auckland Storm boss Willie Walker, and she is excited about the prospect of adding another level of action.
‘‘If we can get this off the ground, I think we’re just going to see more girls performing,’’ she said yesterday.
‘‘It’s another stepping stone for our Black Ferns and our Farah Palmer Cup girls, but it’s a stepping stone for the new girls as well.
‘‘For a lot of them, it’s a big step just going from club to Farah Palmer Cup, but there’s going to be a threestep staircase, and it’s going to give more players opportunities, so if this gets off the ground, it’s going to be a case of ‘watch this space’.’’
Smith has four of her Kauri players in with the Blues this week – forwards Krystal Murray and TK Ngata-Aerengamate and backs Tyler Nankivell and Stacey Tupe – and she said it was great to see players from her province coming together with those from Auckland and North Harbour.
‘‘That’s what it’s about – bringing the three regions together to be one – and we’re so lucky that all the girls are willing and ready to go to bring everyone together.
‘‘It’s so exciting, at long last, as you’re hearing from the girls, that they’re not playing against each other, they’re playing together, which is awesome to see.’’
The Blues made the most of the public holiday to train at the team’s Alexandra Park headquarters, where Smith was responsible for getting the forward pack ready for their duties come line out and scrum time.
With just a handful of sessions together before Saturday’s match, which is a curtain-raiser for the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the Blues and Chiefs men’s teams, Smith said the key was ‘‘keeping it simple and playing to our strengths’’.
‘‘We’re very lucky in this group that we’ve got a lot of experience, so why would you go away from that?
‘‘It’s just about bringing everyone in around [the experienced players], then getting the best that we can in five days.’’
Saturday’s match kicks off at 4.35pm, with the men’s match to follow at 7.05pm.