The New Zealand women's rugby union team, called the Black Ferns, represents New Zealand in women's international rugby union, which is regarded as the country's national sport. The team has won six out of nine Women's Rugby World Cup tournaments.
Melodie Robinson is a New Zealand sports journalist and presenter, and former international rugby union player for the New Zealand women's national rugby union team. She played 18 tests for the New Zealand women's team, the Black Ferns, from 1996 to 2002. Robinson won two world cups in that time, playing blindside or openside flanker. She also represented New Zealand in sevens at the Hong Kong 7s and Japan 7s.
Dame Farah Rangikoepa Palmer is a professor at Massey University and a former captain of New Zealand's women's rugby union team, the Black Ferns.
The Hong Kong Women's Sevens held the first women's international rugby sevens tournament in 1997, and has since become an annual event. The 2020 edition marked the start of a new era for the Hong Kong Women's Sevens. For the first time, the tournament will be an official event in the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelly Brazier is a New Zealand rugby union and sevens player. She has played flyhalf, centre and fullback for the Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's national rugby team, and has competed at three Rugby World Cups in 2010, 2014, and 2017. She has represented Otago, Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup.
The New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team represents New Zealand in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, Summer Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Rebecca Mahoney is a former rugby union footballer and referee. She represented New Zealand and Wellington Rugby Football Union. She was a member of the Black Ferns 2006 and 2010 Rugby World Cup winning squads.
Anna Mary Richards is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She represented New Zealand and won four Rugby World Cups — 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.
Amiria Juanita Mahanna Denelle Rule is a retired female rugby union player. She represented New Zealand and Canterbury. She was a member of the Black Ferns squad that won the 2002 and 2006 Rugby World Cup's and currently plays for Springston RFC.
Hannah Porter is a former female rugby union player. She represented New Zealand in fifteens and sevens rugby, and played for Auckland and Otago provincially. She was in the squad that won the 2002 and 2006 Rugby World Cups.
Regina Sheck is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She played for the Black Ferns and was a member of the 1998 and 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup squad. In 2012, she was a member of the re-established Waikato women's rugby team that was absent for six years. She is a Police Officer of Samoan descent.
Suzy Shortland is a former New Zealand female rugby union and sevens representative. She played at the 1998 and 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Annaleah Bodle is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She was a member of New Zealand's Champion 1998 and 2002 Rugby World Cup squads.
Tammi Wilson Uluinayau is a New Zealand former rugby union player. She represented the New Zealand women's national rugby union team, the Black Ferns, at the 1998 and 2002 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Kellie Kiwi is a former New Zealand rugby union player.
Selica Winiata is a New Zealand Rugby union player and referee. She plays for the Black Ferns, the Black Ferns Sevens and provincially for the Manawatu Cyclones. She was part of the Black Ferns 2014 and Champion 2017 Rugby World Cup squads. She won a silver medal with the Black Ferns Sevens team at the inaugural women's 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament and a gold medal at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Theresa Matauaina Setefano is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was a member of the Black Ferns champion 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup squads. She has also represented New Zealand in rugby sevens; she won gold medals at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She played for the Blues Women in the 2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
Michaela Blyde is a New Zealand professional rugby sevens player and a double Olympic gold medalist. She was the first female player to win back-to-back World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year titles, in 2017 and 2018. Blyde holds the record for the most tries by a New Zealand women sevens player in a single match and also the record for most tries in a single fixture when she scored five tries against England in Langford in 2017. Blyde has won gold medals at the 2018 Sevens World Cup, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympics and six Sevens titles. In December 2023 She was the second woman to score 200 tries in the HSBC international seven series.
Lavinia Gould is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL Women's Premiership.
Tamaku Paul is a former New Zealand dual-code international. She played for the Black Ferns and the Black Ferns sevens teams. She also competed for the Kiwi Ferns in the 2003 Rugby League World Cup.
