NZR slammed over Ferns fiasco
World Cup winning Black Fern Kristina Sue has lashed New Zealand Rugby over a lack of foresight that has limited a pathway for women coaches to control the national team.
With Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore resigning just six months out from the home defence of the World Cup, the pressure is on to find a replacement following the controversial investigation into the team’s culture.
Sue, who helped the Black Ferns win the 2017 World Cup in Ireland, believes a woman should be a candidate but lamented the way New Zealand Rugby had failed to use this year’s historic debut of Super Rugby Aupiki as a chance to appoint a female head coach at any one of the four franchises.
All four teams had male coaches – James Semple at the Blues, Allan Bunting at the Chiefs Manawa, Wesley Clarke at the Hurricanes Poua, and Blair Baxter at the Matatū.
Bunting, the successful New Zealand women’s sevens coach, has been touted as a candidate to join the Black Ferns coaching setup that has recently had former All Blacks whizzes Sir Graham Henry (selector) and Wayne Smith (technical coach) added as the urgency levels increase following last year’s poor tour north.
‘‘What about a woman?’’ Sue asked on Sky TV’s The Breakdown as the hot topic was discussed in the wake of Moore’s resignation.
‘‘There’s a whole handful of females to select, but I think New Zealand Rugby’s ballsed it up from the get-go of Super Rugby Aupiki.
‘‘That would have been a prime opportunity to have a female head coach and have the support of Wesley Clarke, who coached the Hurricanes Poua, Allan Bunting, who coached the Chiefs Manawa team.
‘‘That comp only went for twoand-a-half weeks. Why not put a woman at the head of that?’’
Sue felt there were some worthy candidates for the Black Ferns setup.
‘‘No doubt Allan Bunting has the respect from the players, he’s been effective in that Black Ferns Sevens space, but you’ve got Whitney Hansen, who’s already been in a two-year internship with the Black Ferns,’’ the 25-year-old Sue, who has also represented New Zealand in rugby league and touch, said.
‘‘You’ve got Victoria Grant, who’s currently had to [revert to] coaching the Rotoiti men’s team because there are no opportunities for her. You’ve got Anna Richards, you’ve got Mel Bosman.’’
She felt this was a crucial juncture for the women’s game. Mistakes from the past needed to be corrected to keep New Zealand at the top of the women’s game where England and France were making rapid advances as they embarrassed the Black Ferns late last year.
‘‘One of the recommendations [from the review] is that there are some capability gaps in management due to a large part of historic lack of robust recruitment, training and support,’’ Sue said.
‘‘When you talk about [secondary school teams] – I’m a coach of a secondary school [team] at Manukura School – there is no U20s, there is no New Zealand secondary schools [team] for girls, there is no Super [Rugby academy] that they can go into.
‘‘They might start inviting the odd players, but there’s none of that at that ground level to provide those pathways and opportunities.
‘‘If you’re really going to get serious about investing in women in rugby, there needs that investment to actually bring about change.’’
Sue’s thoughts were echoed by All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan.
‘‘Look at what the All Blacks have just done. They’ve done their review, and they’ve added three consultants, so I think the Black Ferns need to get the two best female coaches, and stick them with Wayne Smith tomorrow on the field,’’ Kirwan said.
‘‘Wayne will tell them – it won’t be gender-biased – he’ll say, ‘You need to get better here and here, and if you don’t, you’re not good enough, whether you’re male or female’.
‘‘Put the two best females [alongside Smith], put the best person in the role right now, and just get on with it, and do it next week.
‘‘The trouble with NZR sometimes, they procrastinate, and it’s not very transparent sometimes. So come out with a plan, and we’ll go, ‘OK, we gotcha’.’’
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