Rugby
1News

Parliament visit, parade planned for triumphant Black Ferns

November 14, 2022

The victorious Black Ferns will be celebrated at a Parliamentary reception, similar to events held for World Cup-winning All Blacks and the Silver Ferns, and can expect a boost in resources from New Zealand Rugby.

With the historic win fresh in the minds of Kiwis, experts say now is the time to capitalise on the team's success.

Sports marketing expert Marilyn Giroux says the strong coverage has been exciting, but it needs to be consistent.

"For a long time we said people didn't really care about women sports, [but] its not true. We just need to be constantly growing this and getting better engagement and better visibility.

"In terms of [resources] spent, it's about 1% for women versus 99% for men, so there is a very big discrepancy at the moment."

Dr Farah Palmer, the associate dean Māori at Massey Business School and former Black Ferns captain, never doubted that New Zealanders would get behind the team, but says people need to take advantage of the win.

"We've got a moment, we've got a little window, so we're going to be moving on it pretty quickly."

The team upset fan favourites England to hold on to their World Cup title. (Source: 1News)

New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson says the organisation is looking to have a consistent nine to 11 Test matches per year for the Black Ferns, a significant jump from their usual three or four games.

He also says they're looking at bonuses for the champions as pressure mounts for more resources for the women's game.

"We're working through that at the moment and hopefully we can firm up exactly what that looks like in the next few days."

The All Blacks previously received a payout of $150,000 from New Zealand Rugby after their 2015 World Cup victory.

In addition to a Parliament visit, the Government is also offering a parade to the Black Ferns, a common tradition for other world champions teams from Aotearoa.

The women are riding a wave of popularity that's shone a light on inequalities between men's and women's athletics, and Saturday's victory may be the best opportunity yet to make real changes happen.

SHARE ME

More Stories