Australia

Chiefs, Blues to stage first women’s Super Rugby game in ‘historic’ double header

www.stuff.co.nz

Black Fern Chelsea Alley will turn out for the Chiefs.

Evan Barnes/Getty Images

Black Fern Chelsea Alley will turn out for the Chiefs.

Women’s rugby is about to take a significant step forward.

The Chiefs and Blues have announced they will play the first Super Rugby women’s game, with the “historic” encounter part of a double header before the Blues’ men host the Chiefs in Super Rugby Aotearoa at Eden Park at 4.35pm on May 1.

Blues Women assistant coach and IRB Hall of Famer Anna Richards said in a statement: “This is super-exciting.

“It is the way forward and it is great to see the CEOs from the Blues and the Chiefs be so supportive and committed in pushing this game.

READ MORE:
* Struggling NSW Waratahs sack Kiwi coach Rob Penney
* ‘Fire up’: Dave Rennie challenges Wallabies veterans left out of training squad
* Super Rugby Aotearoa: ‘We still need to be better’ – resurgent Chiefs not satisfied yet
* Ex-All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry urges radical thinking to save rugby in NZ
* Former Black Fern Anna Richards gives Auckland Rugby a boost

“Our game has progressed significantly for women in the last four years since that great World Cup in 2017. The girls are now contracted, and this is the next step forward.

“It is a natural progression and the women’s game is ready for it,” said Richards, who played in four Rugby World Cups.

Black Fern captain Eloise Blackwell will lead the Blues. “It is an exciting time for women’s rugby with New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup and as a potential pathway towards that level, to have a game between the two Super teams with quite a number of the Black Ferns players is exciting,” she said in a statement.

The Chiefs will have the services of Black Ferns star Chelsea Alley. “The Chiefs have been my favourite rugby team since I was a kid,” she said. “There’s so much mana and pride in the Chiefs jersey, so to be able to pull one on and represent the franchise as part of the first ever Chiefs women’s team is so special and I’m buzzing about it.”

MORE TO COME

www.stuff.co.nz

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button