Wellington Pride players in Black Ferns training squad

Above: Georgia Daals with Ayesha Leti-liga in support, moments away from scoring the try of the season at the death against Counties Manukau to send the Wellington Pride into the 2015 Women’s NPC final against Auckland.

They finished runners-up in the Women’s NPC competition and now eight Wellington Pride players have been selected in the 56-players Black Ferns training squad to start preparing for the 2017 Women’s World Cup.

Wellington forwards selected in the squad - Moana Aiatu (Northern United), Sanita Levave (Northern United), Aimee Sutorius (Northern United) and Jackie Patea (Wainuiomata) – have all previously played Tests for the Black Ferns.

Backs – Lizzie Goulden (Oriental-Rongotai), Amanda Rasch (Oriental-Rongotai), Georgia Daals (Old Boys University) and Ayesha Leti-Liga (Oriental-Rongotai) – have yet to wear black.

Of the group selected, Leti-I'iga is Year 11 at Porirua College and started in all eight games on the left wing for the Wellington Pride Women’s NPC team this year, She was College Sport Wellington’s Girls’ Rugby Player of the Year and was recently voted by readers of the College Sport Media website as the New Zealand schoolgirl Player of the Year in 2015.

Black Ferns Head Coach Glenn Moore said he and his coaching and management team are looking ahead to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland in 2017 in naming a wider squad.

“We’ll be announcing our Test programme for 2016 soon and all these women have the opportunity to be part of the Black Ferns.  

“We have our eyes on the prize – the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017. The campaign to once again be world champions has begun.  The players are hungry for it and we will make sure the World Cup team represents the best players in New Zealand.

“We’ve just had a very competitive Women’s Provincial Championship season and we want to continue the momentum.”

The squad features 18 current Black Ferns including World Rugby’s 2015 Women’s Rugby Player of the Year, Kendra Cocksedge, and captain Fiao'o Fa'amausili. 

The coaching staff has also been confirmed. The Assistant Forwards Coach is once again Wesley Clarke and Grant Keenan has been appointed as Assistant Backs Coach for the first time. Keenan is currently coach of New Zealand Heartland XV and Mid Canterbury. He was also the coach of Auckland B from 2011-2012 and coached professionally in Japan for Toyota from 2007 to 2011.

The squad is:

Forwards:

Toka Natua – Waikato
Hinewai Pomare – Counties Manukau
Moana Aiatu – Wellington
Luka Connor – Bay of Plenty
Jessie Hansen – Canterbury
Sosoli Talawadua – Waikato
Fiao'o Fa'amausili – Auckland
Te Kura Ngata – Counties Manukau
Rebekah Tufuga – Manawatu
Teresa Te Tamaki – Waikato
Aleisha Nelson – Auckland
Aldora Itunu – Auckland
Katie Mailata – Counties Manukau
Steph Te Ohaere Fox – Canterbury  
Elosie Blackwell – Auckland
Charmaine Smith – North Harbour
Sanita Levave – Wellington
Rawinia Everitt – Counties Manukau
Charmaine McMenamin – Auckland
Aroha Savage – Counties Manukau
Charlene Halapua – Auckland
Hana Tapiata – Bay of Plenty
Mikyla Wardlaw – Bay of Plenty
Justine Lavea – Counties Manukau
Sharnita Woodman – Counties Manukau
Lydia Crossman – Auckland
Aimee Sutorius – Wellington
Linda Itunu – Auckland
Angie Sisifa – Otago
Jackie Patea – Wellington

Backs:

Kendra Cocksedge – Canterbury
Kiritapu Demant – Auckland
Emma Jensen – Auckland
Arihana Marino – Counties Manukau
Ariana Bayler – Waikato
Raquel Anderson – Waikato
Ruahei Demant – Auckland
Lizzie Goulden – Wellington
Victoria Subritzky Nafatali – Counties Manukau
Janna Vaughn –  Manawatu
Shakira Baker – Waikato
Chelsea Alley – North Harbour
Amanda Rasch – Wellington
Onjeurlina Leiataua – Auckland
Theresa Fitzpatrick – Auckland
Georgia Daals – Wellington
Keri Hayden – Manawatu
Greer Muir – Otago
Lucy Anderson - Canterbury
Renee Wickliffe – Counties Manukau
Mele Hufanga – Auckland
Ayesha Leti-Liga – Wellington
Lauren Balsillie – Manawatu
Ana Masters – Waikato
Crystal Mayes – Manawatu
Huia Harding – Waikato