Black Ferns add New Zealand Barbarians fixture to an already stacked schedule

The recently named 2019 Black Ferns squad will play a New Zealand Barbarians women's side on Sunday in Pakuranga, Auckland.

The women's Barbarians side will be made up of members of the wider Black Ferns training squad and players from Farah Palmer Cup (New Zealand's women's provincial competition) teams.

New Zealand Barbarians Club President and former All Black, Alan Whetton, said he was absolutely delighted the club could give some of New Zealand's top female players the opportunity to wear the iconic Barbarians jersey and play at this level.

"The growth of women's rugby here and overseas has been phenomenal and we're keen to be part of it. When the opportunity arose for the New Zealand Barbarians to be involved in a match with the Black Ferns we jumped at it."

"We'd love as many friends, whanau and fans to come along and watch some of our country's best players in action as they prepare for Women's Rugby Super Series in the USA."

The Black Ferns already face one of the biggest mid-year schedules they've ever been dealt, which is now comprised of seven matches.

This schedule, of course, is still significantly smaller than that of their male counterparts, but it shows that the women's game is growing in New Zealand.

Earlier this week, World Rugby launched a new campaign to get girls and women involved in the sport, as well as increase fan engagement. At the launch, World Rugby CEO Bill Beaumount said: "We firmly believe that the development of women in rugby is the single greatest opportunity for our sport to grow in the next decade, which is why we are proud to share our exciting new brand identity."

Black Ferns' current schedule for 2019:

26 May v New Zealand Barbarians

29 Jun v Canada

3 Jul v USA

7 Jul v France

15 Jul v England

10 Aug v Australia

17 Aug v Australia