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.
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.
Helen Mahon-Stroud is a New Zealand netball coach and former rugby union player.
Melissa Jane Ruscoe is a New Zealand sportswoman who has served as captain of her country's national team in two different football codes: association football and rugby union.
Helen Va'aga is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She made her international debut for the Black Ferns against Germany at the 2002 Rugby World Cup in Spain.
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 Cup's in 2010, 2014, and 2017. She has represented Otago, Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Cala Hohepa is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a wing for New Zealand, Otago Spirit and Alhambra Union.
Kendra Margaret Cocksedge is a retired New Zealand Rugby Union player and Cricketer. She played for the New Zealand Women's national rugby union side, the Black Ferns and for the Canterbury provincial side. She was a member of the 2010, 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup winning squads. In 2018 she won the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year Award at the annual New Zealand Rugby awards.
Anna Mary Richards is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She represented New Zealand at four World Cups — 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team and New Zealand Women's National Rugby Union team. Woodman was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Gayle Broughton is a former New Zealand rugby union sevens player who played for the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team. She made her international debut for New Zealand in 2014 and called time on her rugby career in March 2022. She had scored 315 points in 112 World Series matches. and has won every trophy on offer in the sevens game. Her accomplishments include six World Rugby Sevens series titles, Olympic Games gold and silver medals, Commonwealth Games gold and winning the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Stacey Fluhler is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team and New Zealand Women's National Rugby Union team. Fluhler was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She was also a member of the New Zealand fifteen-a-side team which won the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Aotearoa Mata'u is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her international debut for New Zealand on 22 October 2016 against Australia in Auckland.
Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was part of the Black Ferns squad that won the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland. She also plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Otago provincially.
Kristina Sue is a New Zealand rugby union, rugby league and touch rugby player.
Leslie-Ann Te Atahira Elder is a New Zealand rugby union player. She debuted for the Black Ferns on 27 June 2015 against Canada at Calgary. She was selected for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad. She is the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union women's development officer. Prior to the World Cup Ketu was also part of the Black Ferns squad that participated in the 2017 International Women's Rugby Series against Canada, Australia and England.
Krystal Murray is a dual code international rugby player for New Zealand. She competed for the Kiwi Ferns at the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup in Australia. She then made her test debut for the Black Ferns in 2021, she was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Northland provincially.
The 2021 Rugby World Cup was the ninth staging of the women's Rugby World Cup, as organised by World Rugby. It was held from 8 October to 12 November 2022 in Auckland and Whangārei, New Zealand. It was originally scheduled to be held in 2021, but was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helen Littleworth is a former New Zealand hockey and rugby union player. She captained New Zealand at the 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Jorja Miller is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team.
