2020 Black Ferns
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Black Ferns 2020 Test matches confirmed
The Black Ferns will play eight Test matches in 2020 – including seven at home - giving fans around New Zealand more opportunities than ever to cheer on the women in black.
- Double-headers in Dunedin, Melbourne and Wellington
- Eight Test matches including seven on home soil
- Five new players in 31-strong contracted squad
- Build up for Rugby World Cup 2021 begins
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2020 Black Ferns Test schedule (all kick-off times in NZT)
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Saturday, 18 July
Black Ferns v USA (double-header: All Blacks v Scotland)
Kick-off: 4.30pm (NZT).
Laurie O’Reilly Cup
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Saturday, 8 August
Black Ferns Australia (double-header: All Blacks v Australia)
Kick-off: 6.50pm (NZT).
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Saturday, 15 August
Black Ferns v Australia (double-header: All Blacks v Australia)
Kick-off: 4.30pm (NZT)Confirmation of the further five Black Ferns Test matches including venues, locations and kick-off times will be announced in coming weeks.
Sexton said while agreements for the other five Test matches were still being finalised they would be standalone matches at venues around the country.
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2020 Black Ferns contracted squad named
Five new players were included in the 2020 Black Ferns contracted squad and Counties Manukau fullback Hazel Tubic returns after a stint playing in Japan. Tubic last wore the black jersey during the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland.
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The 2020 Black Ferns contracted squad is (* Denotes first-time contracts):
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FORWARDS
Saphire Abraham* - Auckland
Eloise Blackwell - Auckland
Charmaine McMenamin - Auckland
Charmaine Smith - Auckland
Aleisha-Pearl Nelson - Auckland
Luka Connor - Bay of Plenty
Kelsie Wills* - Bay of Plenty
Chelsea Bremner* - Canterbury
Phillipa Love - Canterbury
Leilani Perese - Counties Manukau
Pia Tapsell - North Harbour
Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate - Northland
Toka Natua - Waikato
Kennedy Simon - Waikato
Marcelle Parkes - Wellington
Jackie Patea-Fereti - Wellington.
BACKS
Ruahei Demant - Auckland
Patricia Maliepo* - Auckland
Natahlia Moors - Auckland
Renee Wickliffe - Bay of Plenty
Grace Brooker - Canterbury
Kendra Cocksedge - Canterbury
Hazel Tubic - Counties Manukau
Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu - Counties Manukau
Langi Veainu* - Counties Manukau
Selica Winiata - Manawatu
Kilisitina Moata'ane - Otago
Chelsea Alley - Waikato
Carla Hohepa - Waikato
Ayesha Leti-I'iga - Welington
Monica Tagoai - Wellington.
Black Ferns Head Coach Glenn Moore said he and his selectors had assembled the top talent from around New Zealand to build depth in the squad ahead of 2021. Every year the standard of rugby, not just here, but around the world, is growing and we need to be ahead of the game. “In the past couple of years we’ve widened our player pool, introduced new athletes to the Black Ferns environment, and given them Test match exposure. In 2021 we will be able to draw on a stronger, experienced and match-fit group of players.” The contracted squad includes five new athletes who stood out during the 2019 Farah Palmer Cup; Saphire Abraham and Patricia Maliepo (Auckland), Langi Veainu (Counties Manukau), Kelsie Wills (Bay of Plenty) and Chelsea Bremner (Canterbury). Moore said the newly contracted players were all young and talented and had impressed with their work ethic and skill. With 18 months until Rugby World Cup 2021 the competition for black jersey selection was ramping up. “This is a crunch year for us. We need constant high-level competition to ensure the team is in top form for next year. An eight-Test match schedule, more regular training camps, and the added bonus of playing in front of family and friends is massive motivation for everyone. It’s shaping up to be a big year for everyone involved in the Black Ferns.”https://www.allblacks.com/news/black-ferns-2020-test-matches-announced
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Fantastic that they are now arranging double-headers with AB tests but surely it can be arranged that there is less switch over time between the matches? Not a lot of fans are going to turn up at 4.30 when the main game starts 3 hours later.
I get that you can only squeeze things up so much but not a lot of effort being done in that regard.
I guess TV schedules have a big say. -
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@Stargazer said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Crucial I agree, although it's not 3 hours later. The ABs' tests start at 7.05pm now.
According to allblacks.com the tests start at 7.35
EDIT: looks like they condradict themselves.
This from the '2020 Schedule Announced' presserSteinlager Series
All Blacks v Wales, 7.35PM, Saturday 4 July, Eden Park, Auckland
All Blacks v Wales, 7.35PM, Saturday 11 July, Sky Stadium, Wellington
All Blacks v Scotland, 7.35PM, Saturday 18 July, Forsyth Barr Stadium, DunedinInvestec Rugby Championship
All Blacks v Australia, 7.35PM, Saturday 15 August, Sky Stadium, Wellington
All Blacks v Argentina, 7.35PM, Saturday 29 August, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
All Blacks v South Africa, 7.35PM, Saturday 5 September, Eden Park AucklandOn the schedule page it show 7.05
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@Stargazer said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Crucial No, they have recently confirmed the change and not amended all their webpages, yet.
Here's the correct schedule: https://www.allblacks.com/fixtures/all-blacks/
Fuck knows who runs that webpage but they are useless. How many years did it take for them to link the stats (which aren't really stats, more player lists and game histories) to somewhere easily found instead of tucked away three layers deep
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@Stargazer said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Crucial No, they have recently confirmed the change and not amended all their webpages, yet.
Here's the correct schedule: https://www.allblacks.com/fixtures/all-blacks/
There are errors on that page too.
It has the Melbourne Bledisloe as a 12.00AM kickoff...
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@KiwiMurph That's the default time that shows up for matches for which the k/o time hasn't been set, yet.
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@Stargazer Thanks. Doesn't explain why it's not the first game listed in The Rugby Championship given the others are ordered by date.
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@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
The curtain-raisers in SR games start at 4:25 pm. They need to give enough time for the player warm-ups for the main game.
An hour of warm ups? This is where flexibility and a bit of lateral thinking could go a long way.
For me, one of the worst things about going to live games these days is the amount of faffing about before and during matches, Live spectators are an afterthought to the desires of TV and other 'requirements'. You don't notice the stops as much on TV as your attention is diverted by a replay or 'analysis' but at the grounds the game dies as endless water boys run on at every stoppage. -
@Crucial said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
The curtain-raisers in SR games start at 4:25 pm. They need to give enough time for the player warm-ups for the main game.
An hour of warm ups? This is where flexibility and a bit of lateral thinking could go a long way.
But if the kickoff time for AB tests is 7:05 pm it is the same timeframe as for SR games. I don't disagree with you about the dead time for a spectator, as I am often one of them.
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@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Crucial said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
The curtain-raisers in SR games start at 4:25 pm. They need to give enough time for the player warm-ups for the main game.
An hour of warm ups? This is where flexibility and a bit of lateral thinking could go a long way.
But if the kickoff time for AB tests is 7:05 pm it is the same timeframe as for SR games. I don't disagree with you about the dead time for a spectator, as I am often one of them.
I guess that the real question is 'How many ticket holders turn up for the curtain-raiser?'
That is a % that should be targeted to increase. Gap between games is but one of the factors that could help. Otherwise the double-header concept is merely a sham to reduce costs.I would wager that if that Welly game was played mid-week at 5.30 with a $10 entry (kids free), you would get a decent crowd.
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@Crucial said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
The curtain-raisers in SR games start at 4:25 pm. They need to give enough time for the player warm-ups for the main game.
An hour of warm ups? This is where flexibility and a bit of lateral thinking could go a long way.
Goddamn right. It's only rugby that requires warmups on the pitch prior to the game. League warms up outside, Rugby could do that too. they just don't care enough to change, and it's written into competition rules usually.
There's nothing that prepares yo ufor a good game of rugby like a good game of rugby. Bring back curtain raisers - womens, club, 1st XV, don't care ... a 545 kickoff followed by a 730 kickoff would be awesome.
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@nzzp said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Crucial said in 2020 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2020 Black Ferns:
The curtain-raisers in SR games start at 4:25 pm. They need to give enough time for the player warm-ups for the main game.
An hour of warm ups? This is where flexibility and a bit of lateral thinking could go a long way.
Goddamn right. It's only rugby that requires warmups on the pitch prior to the game. League warms up outside, Rugby could do that too. they just don't care enough to change, and it's written into competition rules usually.
There's nothing that prepares yo ufor a good game of rugby like a good game of rugby. Bring back curtain raisers - womens, club, 1st XV, don't care ... a 545 kickoff followed by a 730 kickoff would be awesome.
AFL seem to as well
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Sad news. Fortunately, she has been able to win a World Cup during her time in the black jersey.
Black Ferns lock Charmaine Smith has today announced her retirement from all rugby. 29-year-old Smith, who has played 27 Tests for the Black Ferns since 2015, has made the difficult decision after a scan found a bulging disc in her neck. New Zealand Rugby’s Head of Women’s Rugby, Cate Sexton said Smith’s health and wellbeing was the priority and the medical advice was clear. “Rugby is a contact sport and to play with this type of injury was simply too risky for Charmaine’s health. It’s obviously hugely disappointing for her, the Black Ferns and fans, but it’s the right thing to do and she has the backing of her medical team, her family and teammates. “Charmaine also has a career in the New Zealand Police as a sergeant, which is equally important to her. Fortunately, her injury won’t impact her policing role and she will continue to serve her community outside of rugby,” Sexton said.Smith made her debut for the Black Ferns in 2015 in Canada and went on to play 27 Tests in the black jersey, scoring 20 points during that time. Born and bred in Whangarei, Smith moved to Auckland in 2009. A former netballer, she was a training partner for the Northern Mystics and a provincial player for North Harbour before making the switch to rugby in 2014. She represented both North Harbour and Auckland in the Farah Palmer Cup. Moore said Smith’s progress in rugby has been rapid after she made the switch from netball where she had quickly became a key member of the Black Ferns. In 2017 Smith played in all five matches in the Rugby World Cup in Ireland and scored a try in the Black Ferns 41-31 victory in the final against England in Belfast.
