New Zealand Women's National Rugby League Team

The New Zealand women's national rugby league team, also known as the Kiwi Ferns or New Zealand Kiwi Ferns, represents New Zealand in women's rugby league. They are administered by the New Zealand Rugby League.

New Zealand won the Women's Rugby League World Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2008.

History

The Kiwi Ferns were formed in 1995.

Touring Australia in June and July 1995, the team won all seven games that they played. Two of the games were full internationals against Australia.

The First Test Match was held on 1 July 1995 at Lidcombe Oval in Sydney. New Zealand 18 defeated Australia 14. The Second Test was held on 8 July 1995 at Hawker Oval in Canberra. New Zealand 14 defeated Australia 6.

In 1997, New Zealand hosted Australia for two Test matches, winning both.

New Zealand hosted an 1998 tour by Great Britain, winning all three matches by comfortable margins, the score of 28 to 6 in the First Test being the closest.

During a Trans-Tasman series in 1999, New Zealand experienced their first defeat, a narrow 20-22 loss in the Second Test at Penrith. New Zealand won the third Test in Auckland to claim the series two-one.

New Zealand competed in the 2000 World Cup, beating Australia and Great Britain twice each to claim the inaugural title.

New Zealand remained undefeated in the 2000s until a one-off Test Match against Australia in 2009. During this period, the Kiwi Ferns won one-off matches in 2001 and 2002, all six matches in the 2003 World Cup to claim their second title, two matches in 2004, another in 2006, and all five matches in the 2008 World Cup to claim their third title as World Cup champions. The winning streak extended to 21 matches.

Coaches

Also see '' :New Zealand women's national rugby league team coaches.''

The current coach of the New Zealand team is Ricky Henry, who replaced Justin Morgan in 2020. Morgan had been the coach since 2018.

Note:
* Last updated: 3 November 2024

Players

Current squad

The Kiwi Ferns squad for the 2024 Pacific Championships was announced on 8 October 2024.

Players' ages are as at the date that the table was last updated, 11 November 2024.

Notes
* Other Reps
** Māori All Stars
** New South Wales
** NSW City
** NRL All Stars
** Australian Prime Minister's XIII
** Samoa

Records

Team records

Consecutive wins: 21 matches from 29 October 1999 to 15 November 2008.

Individual records

This section last updated 17 November 2024.

The tally of tries, goals and points for this section is missing
* All of the 16 points vs Australia on 23 September 2009.
* 4 of 44 points vs England on 10 October 2010 (First Test). A long report in the ''New Zealand Herald'' mentions the scorers of the ten tries but omits the goal-kicker.

Points scored: 246
* Trish Hina (33 tries, 57 goals)

Tries scored: 45
* Honey Hireme

Goals kicked: 57
* Trish Hina

Points scored in a match: 40
* Trish Hina (5 tries, 10 goals) vs , World Cup, 6 October 2003.

Tries scored in a match: 6
* Fuarosa Time vs Tokelau, World Cup, 2 October 2003.
* Honey Hireme vs , World Cup, 19 November 2017.

Goals kicked in a match: 10
* Trish Hina vs , World Cup, 6 October 2003.
* Laura Mariu vs Pacific Islands, World Cup 6 November 2008.

Notes:
* Most Games is not listed above as full line-ups are not known to contributors for multiple matches prior to 2011.
** Unknown: 1997 (both Tests), 1998 (2nd Test), 1999 (1st Test), 2002 (only match), 2003 (all six World Cup matches), 2004 (1st Test), 2006 (only match), 2009 (only Test), 2010 (1st Test).
** Known: 1995 (both Tests), 1998 (1st & 3rd Tests), 1999 (2nd & 3rd Tests), 2000 (all four World Cup matches), 2001 (only Test), 2004 (2nd Test), 2008 (all five World Cup matches), 2010 (2nd Test).
* For the 2nd Test of 1999, the try-scorers listed in the ''New Zealand Rugby League Annual 1999'' differs from the try-scorers shown in th
match video on YouTube
The ''Annual'' has the try-scorers as Nadene Conlon, Zavana Aranga, Rachel White, and Leah Witehira. The video shows the New Zealand try scorers as Nadene Conlon (video 0:10:31), Rachel White (0:47:46), Miriama Niha (1:02:21), and Michelle Driscoll (1:15:46).
* Try-scorers for the 1st Test of 1999 are listed in the ''Annual'' as Trish Hina (2), Leah Witehira, and Tasha Davie. A one paragraph report in ''The Press'' mentions two second-half try scorers for New Zealand in this match as Leah Witehira and Tasha Davie.

Competitive record

Head to head records

Notes:
* Table last updated 11 November 2024.
* Share is the portion of "For" points compared to the sum of "For" and "Against" points.

Results

Full internationals

Nines

Individual awards

Player of the Year

A female Player of the Year award is included in the New Zealand Rugby League Awards.

Rookie of the Year

A female Rookie of the Year award has been included in the New Zealand Rugby League Awards since 2018.

IRL Rankings

Past squads

1990s

The Kiwi Ferns were formed in 1995.

1995 Inaugural Kiwi Ferns Team

* Juanita Hall ()
* Zavana Aranga
* Maria Auega
* Luisa Avaiki
* Golly Baker
* Nadene Conlon
* Wendy Cunningham
* Michelle Driscoll
* Eva Epiha
* Sharlene Hannah
* Kaylene Ihaia
* Therese Mangos
* Tania Martin
* Nicole Presland
* Eileen Rankin ()
* Debbie Syme
* Megan Tahapeehi
* Lynley Tierney
* Laura Waretini
* Rachel White
* Sara White
* Tammi Wilson
* Leah Witehira
* Coach: Janie Thompson
* Managers: Diana Hay and Ollie Karu and Yvonne Hiko and Maia Le Cheminant
* Masseur: Josie O'Dwyer

Touring Australia in June and July 1995, the team won all seven games that they played. Two of the games were full internationals against Australia.

The First Test Match was held on 1 July 1995 at Lidcombe Oval in Sydney. New Zealand 18 (Maira Auega, Leah Witehira, Debbie Syme, Luisa Avaiki tries; Zavana Aranga goal) defeated Australia 14 (Natalie Dwyer, Julie McGuffie, Sherrilee Moulds tries; Sherrilee Moulds goal).

The Second Test was held on 8 July 1995 at Hawker Oval in Canberra. New Zealand 14 (Tammi Wilson, Leah Witehira, Laura Waretine tries; Laura Waretine goal) defeated Australia 6 (Katrina Fanning try, Sherrilee Moulds goal).

Other matches on the tour were played against the following teams:
* NSW President's XIII on 27 June at North Sydney Oval. New Zealand won 16–6.
* Sydney at Ringrose Park, Wentworthville. New Zealand 26 defeated Sydney 4.
* Australian Capital Territory on 6 July at Freebody Oval, Queanbeyan. New Zealand 48 defeated A.C.T. nil.
* Queensland at Davies Park, Brisbane. New Zealand 48 defeated Queensland nil.
* Queensland at Seagulls Stadium, Tweed Heads, New South Wales. New Zealand 36 defeated Queensland nil.

1997 Kiwi Ferns Team

* Kaylene Ihaia
* Lemelle Lauaki
* Mate Lefale
* Priscilla Moke
* Luisa Avaiki
* Christine Moir
* Lynley Tierney
* Nadene Conlon ()
* Zavana Aranga ()
* Rachel White
* Tracy Wrigley
* Trish Hina
* Michelle Driscoll
* Megan Tahapeehi
* Nicole Presland
* Mere Miki
* Selena Edmonds
* Coach: Janie Thomson
* Managers: Diane Pakai, Robin Thompson
* Trainer: Eileen Rankin
* NZWRL Secretary: Cherie Steel

New Zealand hosted Australia. New Zealand won both International Test games to remain undefeated for 4 Tests in a row.

1998 Kiwi Ferns Team

* Audrey Thompson
* Zavana Aranga ()
* Nadene Conlon ()
* Tasha Davie
* Debbie Chase
* Alarna Nicholas
* Leah Witehira
* Serena Setu
* Rachel White
* Sara White
* Luisa Avaiki
* Trish Hina
* Somma Te Kahu
* Germaine Wiki
* Jackie Ryder
* Michelle Driscoll
* Rachel Bean
* Coach: Tony Lajpold
* Manager: Hope Weston
* Trainer: Harry Tipene

New Zealand hosted a travelling Great Britain Lionesses team. New Zealand won all 3 test matches to bring their undefeated tally to 7 in a row.

1999 Kiwi Ferns Team

* Tasha Davie
* Tracy Wrigley
* Nadene Conlon
* Leah Witehira
* Stacey O'Carroll
* Jean Kellett
* Mary Brennan
* Frances Te Ao
* Sara White
* Cynthia Ta'ala
* Rachel White
* Selena Te Amo
* Trish Hina
* Luisa Avaiki
* Antoinette Rowley
* Michelle Driscoll
* Jackie Ryder
* Zavana Aranga ()
* Miriama Niha
* Germaine Wiki
* Coach: Tony Lajpold
* Manager: Christine Cooper
* Trainer: Eileen Porter-Rankin

The three-match series was split between two matches in Sydney and one in Auckland. New Zealand won the First Test Match but lost the Second Test, ending their 8 Test undefeated streak.

2000s

2000 World Cup Kiwi Ferns Squad

# Somma Te Kahu
# Sharlene Johnson
# Michelle Driscoll
# Selena Te Amo
# Stacey O'Carroll
# Trish Hina
# Leah Witehira
# Nicole Presland (C)
# Tracy Wrigley
# Luisa Avaiki
# Rachel White
# Nadene Conlon (C)
# Tasha Davie
# Laura Mariu
# Ina Muaiava
# Frances Te Ao
# Hanna Wainohu
# Nola Campbell
# Miriama Niha
# Lynley Tierney-Mani
# Rachel Cooper
# Priscilla Moke
# Vicki Logopati
# Katrina Howard

* Coach: Michael Rawiri
* Trainer: Bob

New Zealand travelled to Great Britain for the Inaugural Women's Rugby League World Cup. New Zealand beat both Great Britain & Ireland and Australia in round matches, and then Australia in a semi-final to play Great Britain & Ireland in the final. New Zealand won the Final 26–4, to win the World Cup.

2003 Kiwi Ferns World Cup Squad

Sharlene Atai (Auckland), Luisa Avaiki (Captain, Auckland), Mere Baker (Canterbury), Elina Beets (Auckland), Tafale Chan Ting (Auckland), Nadene Conlon (Auckland), Sarina Fiso (Auckland), Aimee Gilbert (Wellington), Marion Heather (Auckland), Trish Hina (Wellington), Honey Hireme (Waikato), Annabelle Hohepa (Auckland), Teasha-Lee Leka (Auckland), Bodene Marino (Canterbury), Caroline Marsters, Lorina Papali'i, Rona Peters, Cynthia Ta'ala, Rachel White, Leah Witehira (all Auckland).

2010s

2010 Kiwi Ferns Team

The Kiwi Ferns team for the First Test against England was: Sarina Fiso; Sharlene Ata, Trish Hina, Karley Te Korua, Laura Mariu; Rona Peters, Josephine Leef; Sharnita Woodman, Ana Pereira, Cynthia Ta’ala, Honey Hireme, Maryanne Collins. ''Interchange'': Ebony Low, Akehene Pereira, Maryanne Hemara, Kathleen Keremete. There were four changes to the seventeen for the Second Test, with Bridget Smith, Lorina Papali'i, Charmaine McMenamim and Alisha Moses playing in that match.

2014 Kiwi Ferns Team

The Kiwi Ferns beat the Jillaroos 12 - 8 in a curtain-raiser match ahead of the Four Nations match between the Kangaroos and Samoa at the WIN Stadium in Wollongong, Australia.

2015 Kiwi Ferns Team

The 2015 Anzac Test curtain-raiser match between the Ferns and the Jillaroos was initially to be played on 1 May but was postponed due to bad weather. The match commenced on 3 May at the Suncorp Stadium with the Jillaroos winning the match 22 - 14.

Sources

Coverage of the New Zealand Women's Rugby League team in the following sources is intermittent until the mid-2010s. There are multiple instances of a newspaper publishing details in relation to a match or series in one year, but not of matches in following years.

References

External links

NZ Women's Rugby League
''nzrl.co.nz''

{{International Rugby League

Women's national rugby league teams