The long-awaited review into the culture of the Black Ferns’ women’s rugby team has found that there are “challenges” in its high-performance environment, that the culture is not “fully aligned” with management, that there are “significant” communication issues, and that there are “health and wellbeing” deficiencies within its set-up.
The findings of the “cultural and environmental review’’ into the Black Ferns was made public by New Zealand Rugby on Monday afternoon.
The review was undertaken following veteran hooker Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate’s serious allegations about the team environment under head coach Glenn Moore following the side's northern tour last year.
The report said there were "deficiencies" and "challenges" in the team environment. (Source: 1News)
The tour also had its difficulties on the pitch – the Black Ferns played two tests against England and two against France, losing all four comprehensively.
The report found that NZ Rugby had done positive work with players and management to move the Black Ferns into the professional era, but that there was no clear and consistent high-performance vision and that this needed to be addressed.
Head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum said a review will take place but his top priority was supporting Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate. (Source: 1News)
There were gaps in management due to a lack of “robust recruitment and training” and the Black Ferns had to “create an environment that was safe and inclusive with regard to culture, gender and sexuality”.
The Black Ferns had to place a greater focus on the rights, cultural and welfare needs of players and management.
The panel was made up of Phillipa Muir, Tammi Wilson Uluinayau, Eleanor Butterworth, Gilbert Enoka and cultural advisors Luke Crawford and Saveatama Eroni Clarke.
NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said his organisation had considered the report carefully and that work on implementation had begun.
“No-one should be in any doubt about our commitment to the progression of women’s rugby in this country. This report highlights that we haven’t got everything right and we apologise for not having provided all the tools for our people to succeed,” Robinson said in a statement.
“The Black Ferns have been great ambassadors for rugby; they have won five of seven Rugby World Cups since their inception and have added considerably to the mana and legacy of New Zealand Rugby in that time,” he said.
However, since the advent of professionalism, the Black Ferns had been left behind - particularly by Northern Hemisphere teams rapidly developing in a Six Nations environment. This suggests they will be up against it at this year's World Cup in New Zealand.
Several changes have already been implemented to the Black Ferns, including the addition of former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith to the coaching set-up.
There were 26 recommendations put forward by the review panel including education and focus on a “harm-free” workplace, communication strategies and personal development plans for players.
Glenn Moore responds
In a statement, head coach Moore said he would take plenty of lessons from the review.
"As coach of the Black Ferns, I am honoured to be leading the team into the 2022 Women's Rugby World Cup.
"It is a privilege to be working alongside a highly skilled and experienced management team who have a deep understanding of what is required to achieve success at an elite level of the sport and who join me in coaching a team of extremely talented and motivated players.
"My goal as Black Ferns coach is to ensure the team excel both on and off the field. I am driven to maximise our performance in all aspects of the game and achieve a high standard of excellence. Participating in high-performance sport, whether as a coach, player, or part of the management team, can present unique challenges and the findings of the Black Ferns Cultural and Environmental Review released today have highlighted a number of those challenges. There are learnings from the Review. I am committed to ensuring those are taken on board.
"I look forward to working with everyone involved in the Black Ferns team, New Zealand Rugby, and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association to ensure we have a high-performance culture and environment in place. One that achieves a healthy balance: prioritising personal wellbeing whilst accepting the pressures that come from meeting expectations and competing at an elite level of sport, whether as a player, a coach or part of the management team."
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