The Black Ferns identity ahead of the 2024 Pacific Four Series

The Black Ferns international campaign starts on Saturday with a Pacific Four Test match against the USA in Hamilton.

The Black Ferns have beaten the USA 13 times in 14 internationals outscoring the Eagles 645-95. Their only defeat against the USA was 7-0 in 1991.

The most memorable match between the countries was the 1998 Rugby World Cup final which New Zealand won 44-12. Winger Vanessa Cootes scored five tries, a record for a male or female in a Rugby World Cup final.

"My job was to score tries; plain and simple. All the credit for my tries goes to the team who did the lead-up work. I don't want to look greedy by claiming I was something I wasn't. Playing with Anna Richards was unbelievable. She would skip-pass the entire backline and suddenly I had the ball in a wide open space,” Cootes said.

Soon after the Black Ferns would establish their identity. Coach Darryl Suasua explained the origins of naming New Zealand, 'The Black Ferns.'

“When we were at the World Cup in Amsterdam there was a competition on the Holmes show to name the team. We wanted to come up with something to present to the Union, so we had ownership of the name and culture we were trying to create.

“The idea of Black Ferns was to combine the Silver Ferns of netball with the All Blacks. The mamaku is also the strongest female part of the fern, so everything is tied in nicely.”

What is the Black Ferns identity in 2024?

Director of Rugby Allan Bunting conceded that they are still trying to find it.

“We’ve talked about our DNA and what this is. There are some special young ladies across the board, who are different and are finding out what we can bring. We want to get our crowds back, by playing an exciting brand of footy. That's our responsibility.”

USA should be the easiest of the three PAC Four fixtures. The USA have already played and was thrashed 50-7 by Canada on April 29. Captain Sophie de Goede led from the front by scoring two tries and 18 points and Claire Gallagher also bagged a brace in an impressive showing.

“It’s been a different week of prep for us. Typically, we’d look for the threats they present. This week we’ve had more of an inward focus on our attack and defence and what we are about as a squad,” Co-captain Ruahei Demant said.

The Black Ferns tried to emulate their free-wheeling 2022 Rugby World Cup approach with mixed results last year.

Last year's 39-17 victory against the USA in Ottawa was marred by the first red card in Black Ferns history to halfback Iritana Hohaia. Overall discipline was poorer and different personal and better prepared defenses presented new challenges.

Assistant coach Steve Jackson addressed some of the specifics of strategy.

"There's been a big focus around the breakdown and our soft skills, our catch-pass and the ability to beat defenders.

"A lot of times coaches focus on things they need to work on, but in this environment, we encourage them to be better at the things they are good at, make that their superpower, and make sure they're comfortable and confident so they can go out there and deliver.”

The spine of the team at present exists in a bundle of dynamic and athletic back rowers. This weekend the loose forward trio consists of Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (18 Tests), Kennedy Simon (20 Tests) and Layla Sae (three Tests). Sae was the best player in Aupiki for the Hurricanes Poua, Simon topped the tackle count and Mikaele Tu’u was Black Ferns Player of the Year in 2023.

Demant, the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2022, is the spark and the glue that holds the backline together at first five. Young midfield pair Sylvia Brunt (13 Tests) and Amy du Plessis (14 Tests) are growing. Wings Ruby Tui (13 Tests) and Katelyn Vahaakolo (six Tests) can be electric.

Where the Black Ferns have real issues is among the tight forwards. Debutant Maama Vaipulu, a New Zealand volleyball international, looks set for a long career. The athletic and abrasive lock was outstanding for Aupiki champions the Blues ranking first for lineouts (28), second for carries (71), and fifth for tackles (82). Vaipulu was also a Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) Premiership winner in 2023 with Auckland.

Rugby runs in the family with a Tongan international uncle with the same name while her father Akapani Vaipulu, now a corrections officer, played for Northland. Maama is the fourth of five siblings separated by nine years of age. Her brother Kali played briefly for Bay of Plenty, and her mother Simone was a talented basketball player.

Prop is a seriously alarming weakness. Aldora Itunu has been recalled after a three-year absence, and Marcelle Parkes has converted from loose forward to loosehead. Amy Rule underwhelmed in Aupiki and needs to recapture the form that made her the best tighthead in the world in 2022.

Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu failed to lock down halfback after six Test appearances in 2023. Iritana Hohaia showed signs of promise, but her red card aforementioned was a major blemish. An authoritative halfback is essential for the fast-paced game the Black Ferns desire. Without Kendra Cocksedge, New Zealand looked rudderless at times.

Maia Joseph, daughter of former All Black Jamie Joseph, will debut this Saturday as a halfback. She dates Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham, studies medicine and has represented New Zealand in touch. With Otago in 2022, she won the Fiao'o Faamausili Medal as the best and fairest player in the FPC, but the 20-year-old is still largely unproven. She only started one of six matches in Aupiki for Matatu.

Back up at first five is another Achilles heel and perhaps surprisingly former Black Fern Krysten Cottrell was overlooked after an outstanding campaign for the Blues. The top points scorer with 49 she scored individual tries at crucial times in both narrow victories against Matatu and nailed a clutch sideline conversion against Manawa in the final. Composed and astute, Cottrell forced Demant to play second five to include her presence.

Who is Hannah King? The squad’s genuine bolter. First-five in the Hurricanes Poua, Aupiki’s worst team.

Raised on a farm, King started playing at age four, filling in on her elder brother’s team at the West Melton Rugby Club. She stuck with the club, playing in boys’ teams right through to U13 level.

She was one of the first members of the Ellesmere Royals – an U16 girls’ team who played in a new Canterbury competition for teenage girls. At 16, she made the significant step up into women’s senior rugby, with the Christchurch club swapping from halfback to first-five after three halfbacks were ranked ahead of her.

At the Christchurch Club, King was spotted by Cocksedge who became a key mentor and introduced her to the Canterbury rugby setup.

In her debut season with Canterbury, an 18-year-old King was awarded the most promising Canterbury FPC player of the year, alongside Atlanta Lolohea (who’s also received her first Black Ferns contract).

Cocksedge told LockerRoom: “She was only young, and she was literally bossing them around the park – I hadn’t seen a 10 do that for so long. I knew this kid was a smart football player; she had something special.”

With the increasing threat of the Aussie NRL (the Warriors return next year), securing young talent of this ilk is an increasing priority for NZR. With more than a year remaining until the Rugby World Cup the Black Ferns have some scope to try things. Steve Jackson observed.

"These are the prime opportunities to introduce some things, get the girls to understand why we've changed a few things, and build on those as this competition continues.

"And then, we keep building and building, and making sure they're clear around the reasons why we're doing certain things. Then in the games sticking to our structure and our system.

"It's our job to create a winning environment and winning pinnacle events and create a culture that players want to stay with the Black Ferns for the long term.”