The Black Ferns XV is New Zealand’s second women’s national rugby union team: a development side run by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to prepare emerging players, coaches and staff for the step up to the senior Black Ferns. Introduced in 2023, the team plays non-test matches against touring sides and other nations so that fringe internationals can gain experience in a high-performance environment without the full weight of a capped Test.
In short, it sits between the domestic game — the Farah Palmer Cup and the professional Super Rugby Aupiki competition — and the world champion Black Ferns. This guide explains what the team is, why it was created, who has played and coached in it, and its verified match record, with every figure checked against official sources.
Key Facts
| What it is | New Zealand’s second women’s national XV (a development team) |
|---|---|
| Governing body | New Zealand Rugby (NZR) |
| Established | 2023 |
| Match status | Non-test fixtures (no official caps awarded) |
| First match | 23 September 2023 v Manusina (Samoa), won 38–12, Pukekohe |
| 2023 head coach | Whitney Hansen |
| 2025 head coach | Willie Walker |
| 2025 captain | Holly Greenway |
| Record (to Aug 2025) | Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2 |
| Pathway | Farah Palmer Cup & Super Rugby Aupiki → Black Ferns XV → Black Ferns |
What is the Black Ferns XV?
The Black Ferns XV is a national development team, not a second-string version of the senior side playing full internationals. New Zealand Rugby describes it as “an important part of the high-performance pathway” for women’s rugby, created to give a wider group of players international-standard game time. The squad assembles for short windows around specific fixtures rather than running a full season.
How it differs from the senior Black Ferns
The most important distinction is that Black Ferns XV matches are non-test fixtures. Appearances do not count as official international caps, and results do not appear in the senior Black Ferns’ Test record. The senior Black Ferns remain New Zealand’s premier women’s side — six-time world champions — while the XV is a feeder team designed to build depth beneath them. A player can represent the Black Ferns XV one year and graduate to the capped Black Ferns the next, which is exactly the progression the programme is built to produce.
Why New Zealand Rugby created the development side
New Zealand Rugby launched the Black Ferns XV in 2023 to close a long-standing gap in the women’s pathway. For years, talented players jumped almost directly from provincial rugby into the intensity of Test matches, with little in between. The XV was designed as an intermediate step where players could experience a national assembly — professional conditioning, video analysis, team culture and travel — against genuine international opposition.
The timing was deliberate. The team was introduced in the build-up to the 2025 Rugby World Cup, giving selectors a way to widen the pool and road-test fringe players before a major campaign. It also develops coaches and management, who gain experience leading an international side. For context on the stage these players are aiming at, see our guide to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which New Zealand has won a record six times.
The Black Ferns XV match record
The Black Ferns XV has played a small but growing set of fixtures since 2023. Because the team assembles only for selected windows, its full match history is short and easy to follow. The table below lists every match the side had played through August 2025.
Match Record
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 2023 | Manusina (Samoa) | Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe | Won 38–12 |
| 5 Jul 2025 | Black Ferns (New Zealand) | Semenoff Stadium, Whangarei | Lost 12–45 |
| 26 Jul 2025 | Springbok Women (South Africa) | Athlone Stadium, Cape Town | Won 34–26 |
| 2 Aug 2025 | Springbok Women (South Africa) | Athlone Stadium, Cape Town | Lost 24–41 |
The 2023 debut against Samoa
The Black Ferns XV played its first match on 23 September 2023, beating the Manusina XV (Samoa) 38-12 at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe. The game was staged as part of a double-header and broadcast live on Sky Sport, giving the new team a prominent debut in front of a home crowd.
The 2025 assembly and South Africa tour
The side’s second major assembly came in 2025. On 5 July the Black Ferns XV faced the senior Black Ferns at Semenoff Stadium in Whangarei — part of a double-header with the Māori All Blacks against Scotland — and lost 12-45 against the full national team. The squad then travelled to South Africa for two historic matches against the Springbok Women at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town: a 34-26 win on 26 July, followed by a 24-41 defeat on 2 August that levelled the series 1-1. The tour marked the first time the two sides had met and formed a key part of South Africa’s own World Cup preparation.
How players are selected and the pathway
Selection for the Black Ferns XV draws on the layers of New Zealand’s domestic women’s game. The primary feeders are the provincial Farah Palmer Cup and the professional franchise competition Super Rugby Aupiki, which launched in 2022 as the direct stepping stone between the two. Selectors use the XV to reward strong provincial form, to give Super Rugby Aupiki standouts international exposure, and to integrate players crossing over from sevens or rugby league.
A typical squad blends three groups: young prospects being fast-tracked, established domestic players earning a higher platform, and more experienced players returning to form or pushing for senior recognition. The aim is a balanced environment that mirrors the demands of a senior Black Ferns camp.
The four Super Rugby Aupiki franchises
Super Rugby Aupiki is contested by four teams, and the Black Ferns XV draws talent from across all of them:
- Blues — the Auckland-based franchise with a large metropolitan playing base.
- Chiefs Manawa — the Hamilton-based side, inaugural Aupiki champions in 2022.
- Hurricanes Poua — representing the lower North Island.
- Matātū — the South Island franchise.
Because these franchises play each other every season, players arrive at a national assembly already accustomed to a professional week-to-week environment, which is one reason the pathway was built around them.
Coaches and leadership
The Black Ferns XV doubles as a development stage for coaches as well as players. For the 2023 debut, Whitney Hansen — Matātū’s head of rugby — was named head coach, assisted by former Black Fern Linda Itunu and former Wallaroos assistant Peter Breen. By the 2025 programme, Willie Walker had taken over as head coach, with Bay of Plenty lock Holly Greenway named captain for the South Africa tour. Giving New Zealand’s rising coaching talent an international assignment is a deliberate part of the model, extending the pathway beyond the playing group.
Culture, identity and the haka
Like the senior side, the Black Ferns programme carries a strong cultural identity rooted in te ao Māori. The Black Ferns’ haka, Ko Ūhia Mai (“Let It Be Known”), was composed by respected Māori rugby figure Whetū Tipiwai and honours the journey of wāhine Māori. It is now performed before matches around the world and stands alongside the All Blacks’ haka as a signature of New Zealand rugby.
This cultural grounding is shared across New Zealand’s representative teams. The same emphasis on whakapapa and identity shapes sides such as the Māori All Blacks, and it gives players in the development environment a clear sense of the values and history they are joining when they pull on the jersey.
Where the Black Ferns XV fits in the wider women’s game
The development side exists because the senior Black Ferns set such a high bar. New Zealand holds the record for most Women’s Rugby World Cup titles, winning in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017 and 2022 — the last of those a 34-31 victory over England in front of a sold-out Eden Park. Sustaining that record at a time when England, Canada, France and others are investing heavily in the women’s game requires a deeper pool of ready-made internationals, which is precisely what the XV is meant to supply.
Readers wanting detailed, continually updated squad lists and individual match line-ups can find them on reference sites such as Wikipedia and the official New Zealand Rugby channels, which publish team announcements ahead of each assembly.
Common misconceptions about the Black Ferns XV
Because the team is new, several misunderstandings are common. Clearing them up makes the team’s role much easier to follow.
- It is not the Black Ferns. The XV is a separate development team; playing for it is not the same as being capped for the senior side.
- Matches do not award Test caps. Fixtures are non-test, so appearances and scores do not count toward players’ official international records.
- It does not play a full season. The side assembles only for selected windows, which is why its total match count is still small.
- It is not limited to young players. Squads mix prospects with experienced provincial and franchise players, including some pushing to return to the senior set-up.
- A loss to the Black Ferns is not a failure. Fixtures against the full national team, such as the 12-45 result in July 2025, are deliberate development exercises against the world’s leading side.
Sources
- New Zealand Rugby – Black Ferns XV to provide opportunity for emerging talent
- New Zealand Rugby – Black Ferns XV 2025 coach and management group confirmed
- AllBlacks.com – Black Ferns XV to play the Springbok Women in South Africa
- RugbyPass – Black Ferns XV to face Springbok Women
- Springboks.rugby – Bok Women score famous victory in Cape Town
- 1News – Whitney Hansen named coach of new Black Ferns XV team
- Guinness World Records – Most Women’s Rugby World Cup titles
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Black Ferns XV?
The Black Ferns XV is New Zealand’s second women’s national rugby union team, introduced by New Zealand Rugby in 2023. It is a development side that plays non-test matches to prepare emerging players, coaches and staff for the senior Black Ferns.
Do Black Ferns XV matches count as official caps?
No. Black Ferns XV fixtures are non-test matches, so appearances do not earn official international caps and the results do not appear in the senior Black Ferns’ Test record. Performances are, however, closely watched by national selectors.
Who coaches and captains the Black Ferns XV?
Whitney Hansen coached the team on its 2023 debut. By the 2025 programme, Willie Walker was head coach, with Bay of Plenty lock Holly Greenway named captain for the tour to South Africa.
What matches has the Black Ferns XV played?
The side beat Samoa’s Manusina 38-12 in Pukekohe on its 2023 debut, lost 12-45 to the Black Ferns in Whangarei in July 2025, then beat the Springbok Women 34-26 and lost 24-41 on a two-match tour of Cape Town in July and August 2025.
How do players get selected for the Black Ferns XV?
Selectors draw mainly on the Farah Palmer Cup and Super Rugby Aupiki, choosing a blend of young prospects, in-form provincial players and more experienced players. It serves as an intermediate step between the domestic game and the capped Black Ferns.