Call for NZ to host women’s cup
Labour MP and former Black Fern Louisa Wall has called on New Zealand to bid for the next women’s Rugby World Cup tournament.
New Zealand has never hosted the women’s tournament and Wall – a world champion with the Black Ferns in 1998 – said it should try to secure the 2021 tournament.
Speaking before the victory parade for the Black Ferns’ 2017 World Cup winning team in Auckland yesterday, Wall said hosting the World Cup finals would have sporting and economic benefits.
‘‘If we were to host in four years time, I think if we put that out there to corporate New Zealand, I think there would be many people and many businesses who currently support the rugby union [interested].
‘‘Essentially it must be driven by New Zealand Rugby. If they put it out there they would be surprised how many would be interested.’’
New Zealand Players Association chief executive Rob Nichol agreed that hosting a women’s Rugby World Cup would do wonders for the sport.
‘‘It would be fantastic, wouldn’t it? It would build on the platform and the fantastic legacy that the team has created for a number of years, we [NZPA] would be all for that.
‘‘Certainly, let’s keep that conversation going. There is so much opportunity in this space. Womens rugby is important to the sport, the commercial side too,’’ Nichol said.
Wall – who was also a Silver Ferns netball international – said it was a ‘‘miracle’’ the Black Ferns won the World Cup given the small number of tests played outside of World Cup seasons. She suggested NZ Rugby invite the French women’s side to join their men’s team’s tour of New Zealand in 2018.
Wall and former Black Fern Melodie Robinson would both like to see more tests between World Cups for the Black Ferns, as on average the team had played just eight tests between each tournament.
‘‘That’s poor, that’s really poor when you consider one of the props for the England team has played 124 tests matches and the Black Ferns have played 81 tests in their history,’’ Robinson, a twotime World Cup winner, said.
‘‘The New Zealand Rugby Union really need to give themselves a boot in the butt for that one.’’
Robinson said while the Black Ferns were gaining traction in terms of public interest, there were issues around pay, celebration of success and creating a professional environment for the 15s game.
She said yesterday’s Black Ferns’ celebration wasn’t as spectacular as the team deserved, but it was an improvement from her test career between 1996-2002.
‘‘There has never ever been an official function held by the New Zealand Rugby Union to celebrate any of the previous [women’s] World Cup winning teams. When you are a former Black Fern you go through mixed emotions. You get frustrated, but at the same time there’s always been a sense of, this is the way it is.
‘‘It’s good that they’ve got what they have today, I am really happy. But at the same time it took so long and it wasn’t anticipated or thought of beforehand.’’
Robinson said it was heartening to hear Black Ferns’ players speak out about the need for professional contracts.
‘‘Not many players usually speak out, but this is the first time I have seen a number of them talking about it.
NZPA have vowed to discuss the women’s game going professional with New Zealand Rugby.
Nichol said it would not happen overnight, but he compared the success of the women’s rugby sevens side, who are now fulltime paid professionals.
‘‘I think we are heading down a road where soon it will not look good for a corporate to sponsor a major sport where it doesn’t cater for male and female participation and investment.’’