NZR has unveiled a new international women's rugby team with the hopes of growing the game in New Zealand and providing a high-performance pathway to the Black Ferns — with Whitney Hansen the first coach to take the reins.
Hansen, Matatū head of rugby and a former assistant coach with the World Cup-winning Black Ferns under Sir Wayne Smith, has been named as head coach of the Black Ferns XV — a new squad that will operate similarly to the recently-reintroduced All Blacks XV in operating as a developmental stage between Super Rugby and Test rugby.
"This is massively about how do we grow the next generation of Black Ferns to go in there or to help them be great and that probably sits as an overarching piece for any role I'm in," Hansen said.
"I'm always thinking about how do we help the Black Ferns be successful?
"I think it's a stepping stone part way through that journey and a pretty cool one it will be to have that opportunity for those girls to experience that."
Hansen, who is also the daughter of former All Blacks coach and World Cup winner Sir Steve Hansen, is joined by Blues assistant coach and former Black Fern Linda Itunu as well as former Wallaroos Assistant Coach Peter Breen.
"I haven't worked with either coaches before, so that's pretty exciting — I think both of them will bring something special," Hansen said of the pair.
"Linda, I've obviously coached against her in Super [Rugby Aupiki] and we've had a few catch ups and I think being female coaches in that space, you tend to link up and connect and do a bit of growing beside each other.
"And Pete... he's had experience with the Wallaroos before and he was awesome in that space and I know all the girls that I've talked to that had the pleasure of working with him in there loved it."
The Black Ferns XV's squad will be named in mid-September, ahead of their fixture against Samoa on Saturday, September 23 in Pukekohe at 4.35pm.
The fixture will be part of a double header alongside the NPC fixture between Counties Manukau and Manawatū at 2.05pm.
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