Once upon a time, the New Zealand women’s rugby team, the Black Ferns, used to get a couple of games a year and had to wear tracksuits left over from the All Blacks. 

Now, they’re getting ready to deliver the best of the game at next month’s Rugby World Cup.

Black Ferns legend Farah Palmer talks to Re: about why there’s never been a better time to support women’s rugby.

When men’s rugby turned professional in 1995 and the All Blacks signed contracts to make a career out of playing, the Black Ferns were lining up to get $30 a day in cash to cover their own time and commitment to the game.

Former Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer was still at the University of Otago when she began playing rugby for New Zealand and she remembers the $30 a day being a real bonus for a cash-strapped student – but that wasn’t the case for most of her team.

“For those that were working, they had to take time off work. They had to have really understanding employers,” she says.

The team’s lack of resources back then was also clear in the gear they were given.

“The uniforms we used to wear were big and baggy and a lot of the stuff we got like tracksuits - I'm pretty sure were leftovers from the men’s teams. [They were] size XXXL which we would just have to roll up,” Palmer says.

She says the Black Ferns knew they weren’t going to get the same resources as the men back then, but they still wanted to give the game their all.

“Everyone wants to represent their country and so there was no feeling of being less in that regard,” she says.

“We felt that we were the best in New Zealand in this sport and so we were really proud of that; we were really proud to wear the black jersey.

“We also knew that there were a lot of things we still needed to develop and work on, and we just tried to make the most of the situation that we were in.”

And slowly, things began to change.

Palmer says people became more aware of women’s rugby over her 10 years as captain of the Black Ferns.

“I know the year we played in the 1998 World Cup in Amsterdam was a year that the All Blacks weren’t doing so well, so we got a lot of media attention [then]. We really kind of said, ‘right, we’ve got a platform, let’s really push it.’”

And the Black Ferns have been pushing for more resources and recognition ever since.

Palmer says high profile players like Annaleah Rush and Louisa Wall have helped bring more attention to women’s rugby over the years, while the decision to include Rugby sevens in the Olympics also had a big impact.

“There was a lot more energy and effort put into trying to get the [women’s] sevens programme up and running and that also opened doors for a lot of girls and women who may not have been attracted to the 15 game.”

Women’s rugby is much better resourced now with players getting more of an opportunity to make the game their career, Palmer says.

 “There’s a more structured way of getting into women’s rugby. When I started playing, most of us were new to rugby and playing at university or as young adults. So, we had probably not had any experience with playing some formalised rugby games prior to that,” she says.

“Now, you get five-year-old girls who are out there playing Rippa Rugby … and continue to play through to tackle at secondary schools, into clubs. So, the pathway to getting into a black jersey is much deeper.”

This year also saw the introduction of the semi-professional women’s competition, Super Rugby Aupiki, as well as full time contracts for some Black Ferns players. 

Palmer says these all create chances for players to step up and really develop their skills.

“When we were playing back in the mid-1990s, you were probably lucky if you got two or three games a year,” she says.

“In our day, to get to 20 Test matches was significant because you would have had to play for quite a while to get to 20. I think most of the players end up getting 20 games within maybe two or three years now, so there's a lot more opportunities.”

Still ‘a long way to go’

 But while the Black Ferns are now considered athletes and not the “kind of comical sideshow” her team was sometimes seen as in the past, Palmer says there’s still a shortfall when it comes to supporting women’s rugby.

“Are we there yet? No, we still have a long way to go,” she says.

She says there are concerns about keeping women in rugby, especially at club level, but she says provincial unions are open to figuring out how to increase player numbers at that level.

“The other issue is always about resourcing in terms of how much we resource the men’s games versus the women’s games. I think there’s still a discrepancy there that’s improving, but we still are not putting in as much resourcing.”

Her comments come as New Zealand Rugby makes international headlines for failing to meet a Government mandate to have 40% women on the country’s sports boards - and losing $280,000 in funding because of it. 

New Zealand Rugby currently has three women, including Palmer, on its nine-strong board. 

It was the only sports organisation in New Zealand to not meet the 40% mandate.

But as women’s rugby continues to push for resources, Palmer says New Zealanders will still see the benefits of investing in women’s sport when Rugby World Cup 2021 (not a typo – thanks Covid) finally gets under way in Auckland and Whangārei next month.

Palmer says the competition promises to be strong as the Black Ferns look to defend their world title.

“In the northern hemisphere, [those] women have been a part of the Six Nations for quite a while, and we know that New Zealand didn't do too well on our northern tour last year,” she says. 

“So, we know that England and France are going to be hard to beat and even Wales and Scotland, being part of their Six Nations, will also be quite strong.” 

She adds that Japan and Canada have also been competitive, while Fijian women’s rugby has “gone through the roof in the last two years”. 

“I think we will see some really great matches. I don’t think we’ll be seeing too many one-sided games going on.”

Palmer, who led the Black Ferns to three World Cup titles through her own rugby career, says she hopes New Zealanders will get off their couches and show up to the matches. 

“That will really lift the players as well. I know that it's always a really different experience when you play in front of a big crowd and we just want to play to the occasion and really put our best efforts on display.”

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