Told she’d never play again
‘‘To have the opportunity to captain this team is something I never, ever dreamed of.’’ Ruahei Demant
Zealand. The Black Ferns have won five of the seven global tournaments since the first in 1991, including the last title in 2017.
Elder would almost certainly retain the captaincy if she returns, as expected, for the O’Reilly Cup series against
Australia in August.
But making Demant the captain in Elder’s absence is a sign of the esteem she is held in among the new coaching group, led by Wayne Smith, as well as the players.
Black Ferns assistant coach Wesley Clarke said Demant would be a great leader.
‘‘She’s really strong in her own identity and with Tikanga Māori. She speaks Māori and is highly educated and intelligent,’’ Clarke said.
‘‘She’s respected by the group, and at these recent camps with the plans we have in place, she’s getting those things quickly.’’
Being offered the role blindsided her, Demant said, and she couldn’t even share the news with her whānau until it was announced publicly.
‘‘It’s taken me a while to wrap my head around it,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m excited with the opportunity to lead our team at home in front of our families.’’
When the Black Ferns play Australia in the first round of the Pacific Four Series on June 6 in Tauranga, it will be their first test at home since beating the Wallaroos at Eden Park in August 2019 – namely because of Covid-19’s impact.
After a damning review into their culture and last month’s shock resignation of former coach Glenn Moore, following last year’s troubled tour of England and France, Demant said the June series would test how strong the trust is among the squad.
‘‘The thing that a lot of people don’t see is how tight the girls were off the field, despite the challenges on the field,’’ Demant said.
‘‘Everything wasn’t going for us, but the group stuck together.
‘‘We have a really solid culture in our team. I hope that only can be enhanced as we build towards the World Cup.’’