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\nImage credit: VJ Paul.
\nRebecca Mahoney playing for Manawatu, 2013.
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[av_hr class=’invisible’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’20’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-4w1h0w’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n
[av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” template_class=” av_uid=’av-kru80tvs’ sc_version=’1.0′ admin_preview_bg=”] 02 August 2021<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b>Congratulations to the Black Ferns 7s Gold Medalists!<\/b><\/p>\n It\u2019s great to see women\u2019s rugby is on the up, locally and internationally.\u00a0 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).<\/span><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 But back then there were not any women\u2019s rugby clubs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, there\u2019s 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 <\/span>recent performance<\/span><\/a> demonstrates.\u00a0 In the game highlighted in the video, last year\u2019s runner up, shows they are no slouches either.<\/span><\/p>\n There is no bigger platform to show off the brilliant wealth of talent in elite women\u2019s rugby, than the Olympics Women\u2019s Sevens competition. It\u2019s great to see the Black Ferns finally take the gold this year, but it could have gone either way in the <\/span>semi-final against Fiji<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 Such a close finish. Fiji have an exceptional team with strength and speed to burn. Hopefully they will take the well-deserved winner\u2019s platform in coming years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I thought the final between the Black Ferns and France was going to be tighter.\u00a0 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 <\/span>Anne-Cecile Ciofani<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n France looked formidable as they repeatedly out-muscled GB at the breakdown.\u00a0 However, in the final, it was at the breakdown that the Black Fern\u2019s 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\u2019s athletic sprinters. It also gave the Ferns important possession of the ball, inevitably resulting in tries.<\/span><\/p>\n The Black Ferns, their coaches and support team celebrated with <\/span>a haka after the medal ceremony<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nBy: Karolyn<\/strong><\/p>\n