2022 Black Ferns

The Black Ferns programme has received a welcome boost in 2022 with 29 contracted players leaving behind their day jobs to focus their attention on rugby.

Building on the professional performance contracts introduced in 2018, the new contracting model confirms Black Ferns players will have a guaranteed increase to their retainer along with assembly fees and a range of other benefits.

After more than a decade in the team juggling work and training commitments, Kendra Cocksedge, Renee Wickliffe, Carla Hohepa and Eloise Blackwell now find themselves focusing on training and development.

2021 Black Ferns debutants Ariana Bayler, Alana Bremner, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Maiakawanakaulani Roos and Georgia Ponsonby pick up contracts for the first time.

Contracted players will train out on regionalised hubs in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch, receiving technical, tactical and strength and conditioning programmes.

One day a week is committed to Personal Development with players focussing on the areas of career/education and work, finance and asset protection, character development, mental wellness and other professional rugby obligations and expectations.

The first 29 contracts are locked in, with further contracts to be confirmed in coming months.

Contracted Black Ferns
Ariana Bayler (Waikato)
Eloise Blackwell (Auckland)
Alana Bremner (Canterbury)
Chelsea Bremner (Canterbury)
Grace Brooker (Canterbury)
Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
Ruahei Demant (Auckland)
Amy du Plessis (Canterbury)
Les Elder (Bay of Plenty)
Carla Hohepa (Waikato)
Renee Holmes (Waikato)
Ayesha Leti-I'iga (Wellington)
Pip Love (Canterbury)
Patricia Maliepo (Auckland)
Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu (Counties Manukau)
Charmaine McMenamin (Auckland)
Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (Auckland)
Krystal Murray (Northland)
Aleisha-Pearl Nelson (Auckland)
Georgia Ponsonby (Canterbury)
Cheyelle Robins-Reti (Waikato)
Maiakawanakaukani Roos (Auckland)
Amy Rule (Canterbury)
Chelsea Semple nee Alley (Waikato)
Kennedy Simon (Waikato)
Grace Steinmetz (Canterbury)
Hazel Tubic (Counties Manukau)
Renee Wickliffe (Bay of Plenty)
Kelsie Wills (Bay of Plenty)

And Charmaine Smith is making a comeback.

Even I noticed this one as a bit ‘off’, I thought maybe I’d just missed the Black Ferns version? It does remind me when Melodie Robinson rather effectively shut down a bit of condescending banter on Re-Union (I think) with a bit of top quality banter “and how many World Cups have you guys won?”

EDIT: Shoulda read the article first, there was a Black Ferns post I didn’t see, and it was earlier in the day. Much ado over nothing

@machpants said in All Blacks 2022:

Even I noticed this one as a bit ‘off’, I thought maybe I’d just missed the Black Ferns version? It does remind me when Melodie Robinson rather effectively shut down a bit of condescending banter on Re-Union (I think) with a bit of top quality banter “and how many World Cups have you guys won?”

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lol holy shit that is bad!!

Not sure Aaron Smith and Sevu Reece are really the poster children you should be going with either.

@machpants said in 2022 Black Ferns:

Even I noticed this one as a bit ‘off’, I thought maybe I’d just missed the Black Ferns version? It does remind me when Melodie Robinson rather effectively shut down a bit of condescending banter on Re-Union (I think) with a bit of top quality banter “and how many World Cups have you guys won?”

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Step back and think before posting is the lesson. I get what the comms team were doing (one from the ABs saying thanks to women and the same from the BFs) but man did they get this wrong with using Nugget and Reece.
An added 'not to mention our awesome women players' wouldn't have gone amiss either.

@machpants The harpy who posted about it on Twitter, the only "outrage" I saw, does nothing but manufacture claims of rugby sexism.

Sad to see such clickbait posted here.

@tim Squidge Rugby is also on his high horse on Twitter.

@stargazer Ah, I saw it last night before he had joined in to promote himself.

SM is posted without context so can easily be taken out of context.

Maybe do the BF one first then reply to it with a thanks from the ABs would have been a good strategy.

Given that way more people subscribe to AB posts you can see why it looks poor.

Fonterra did the same recently. Announced a bunch of speakers at a get together for International Womens Day but they were all men and they got roasted.
The missing contaxt was that the day itself was mainly presentations by women and this part was a men's perspective of the value to the business of a female view.
You'd think companies would employ savvy SM comms people.....oh wait 'savvy SM comms people that are good'

Oops

@mikethesnow said in All Blacks 2022:

Oops

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Haha, wow. Putting Reece in is really bad taste. Is Foster in charge of the Twitter account too ?

Oops, a public relations blunder and easily avoided.

IMO it's a blunder because nothing you say will keep the lunatics from complaining. That being said, I do agree that including Sevu is remarkably tone deaf. One wonder why this level of incompetence exists at NZR - it permeates everything they do.

APRIL CAMP SQUAD

Ruahei Demant – Auckland

Patricia Maliepo – Auckland

Eloise Blackwell – Auckland

Liana Mikaele-Tu’u – Auckland

Maiakawanakaulani Roos – Auckland

Aldora Itunu – Auckland

Tafito Lafaele – Auckland

Renee Wickliffe – Bay of Plenty

Les Elder – Bay of Plenty

Kendra Reynolds – Bay of Plenty

Pia Tapsell – Bay of Plenty

Luka Connor – Bay of Plenty

Santo Taumata – Bay of Plenty

Angel Mulu – Bay of Plenty

Kendra Cocksedge – Canterbury

Amy du Plessis – Canterbury

Grace Steinmetz – Canterbury

Olivia McGoverne – Canterbury

Alana Bremner – Canterbury

Chelsea Bremner – Canterbury

Pip Love – Canterbury

Georgia Ponsonby – Canterbury

Amy Rule – Canterbury

Lucy Anderson – Canterbury

Hazel Tubic – Counties Manukau

Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu – Counties Manukau

Ruby Tui – Counties Manukau

Harono Te Iringa – Counties Manukau

Carys Dallinger – Manawatū

Kaipo Olsen-Baker – Manawatū

Krystal Murray – Northland

Iritana Hohaia – Taranaki

Chelsea Semple – Waikato

Ariana Bayler – Waikato

Cheyelle Robins-Reti – Waikato

Renee Holmes – Waikato

Carla Hohepa – Waikato

Kennedy Simon – Waikato

Awhina Tangen-Wainohu – Waikato

Tanya Kalounivale – Waikato

Grace Houpapa-Barrett – Waikato

Ayesha Leti-I’iga – Wellington

Monica Tagoai – Wellington

Joanah Ngan-Woo – Wellington

25 of the selected players are currently contracted (Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, Charmaine McMenamin, Kelsie Wills and Grace Brooker are still returning from injury), with the remaining 19 having been picked off the back of Sky Super Rugby Aupiki form.

Nine players out of the champion Chiefs Manawa side will attend the camp, with Black Ferns Sevens playmaker Ruby Tui included. She’s joined by Luka Connor, Pia Tapsell, Angel Mulu, Harono Te Iringa, Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Tanya Kalounivale, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu and Santo Taumata.

Hurricanes Poua pivot Carys Dallinger has been selected alongside teammates Monica Tagoai, Iritana Hohaia, Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Joanah Ngan-Woo.

From the Blues, Aldora Itunu and Tafito Lafaele are included, and Lucy Anderson, Kendra Reynolds and Olivia McGoverne will attend out of Matatū.

After gaining valuable game time in Sky Super Rugby Aupiki, Black Ferns Sevens stars Sarah Hirini, Kelly Brazier, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Stacey Fluhler, Portia Woodman, and Tyla Nathan-Wong return to Tauranga ahead of the World Series tournament in Langford next month.

I'm not sure if they got to choose but I would have thought Hirini, Nathan-Wong, Brazier and Woodman especially shone out in Aupiki.
Tui being the only one is a bit funny as she was probably the 'flakiest' of the Sevens girls at 15s. Great competitor but unpredictable and loose (as you would expect)

A certain hooker hasn't been selected. The final selection of the props will tell us if Moore and co have learnt their lessons from the NH tour. We need more size and dynamism in the tight five. Finding a lock over 6' would also help the lineout. Too late now to convert a netball/basketball player.

@crucial Yeah, but there's a Commonwealth Sevens (20 July - 1 August) and RWC Sevens (9-11 September) coming up first, this year. They may return to XVs after that. Although there's only a month in-between both RWCs, I think they did that last time, too (I mean a late switch). I think the upcoming legs of the World Series determine the RWC draw.

Wayne Smith to join the coaching staff for the WC (Newshub).

The sevens women are all keen to be involved.

@bovidae Wayne Smith is a fantastic addition.