Go Women’s Rugby!

By: Karolyn

02 August 2021

Congratulations to the Black Ferns 7s Gold Medalists!

It’s great to see women’s rugby is on the up, locally and internationally.  I have really enjoyed seeing it on TV lately, in the Olympics (NZ TVOne), and the NZ provincial competition, the Farah Palmer championship (on Prime).

When I was a child, I enjoyed playing backyard, and local park rugby with siblings and boys in the hood: loved the physical exertion and running around in the outdoors.  But back then there were not any women’s rugby clubs. 

Today, there’s a wealth of talent, skill, and athleticism on display in the Farah Palmer competition. Canterbury team are setting the pace once more, with Auckland Storm, and Counties Manukau not far behind. Canterbury halfback, Kendra Cocksedge is still sharp after all these years, as this recent performance demonstrates.  In the game highlighted in the video, last year’s runner up, shows they are no slouches either.

There is no bigger platform to show off the brilliant wealth of talent in elite women’s rugby, than the Olympics Women’s Sevens competition. It’s great to see the Black Ferns finally take the gold this year, but it could have gone either way in the semi-final against Fiji.  Such a close finish. Fiji have an exceptional team with strength and speed to burn. Hopefully they will take the well-deserved winner’s platform in coming years.  

I thought the final between the Black Ferns and France was going to be tighter.  France looked very strong in their semi-final against Great Britain. The French field some of the most athletic and powerful women in the world with the likes of Anne-Cecile Ciofani. 

France looked formidable as they repeatedly out-muscled GB at the breakdown.  However, in the final, it was at the breakdown that the Black Fern’s showed their superiority. Time and again, the Ferns hassled and disrupted after players were tackled and the ball went to ground. This caused France to give away many penalties, and helped restrict France’s athletic sprinters. It also gave the Ferns important possession of the ball, inevitably resulting in tries.

The Black Ferns, their coaches and support team celebrated with a haka after the medal ceremony.

Go women’s sport!  More on Freeview TV, please!

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