While the PWR season runs through until late June, there is a two-month break between rounds 16 and 17. The Trailfinders play on March 30, then will not play again until May 30. <\/p>\n
Ponsonby has signed an interim contract with NZR for the Pacific Four tournament. The other four English-based Black Ferns named were playing in the PWR as injury replacements and were still contracted with NZR.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited to begin our year of an 11-test calendar, the most-ever games yet for our Black Ferns. PAC4 is a great starting point and provides us with a chance to go and test our game against some of the best in the world,\u201d Hansen said. <\/p>\n
Props Maddison Robinson and Mo\u2019omo\u2019oga Palu, loose forwards Mia Anderson and Taufa Bason, halfback Tara Turner, midfielder Hollyrae Mete-Renata and outside backs Justine McGregor and Shyrah Tuliau-Tua\u2019a are the new faces in the 30-strong squad. <\/p>\n
Hansen said the Pacific Four Series was an opportunity to showcase new talent and measure performance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirstly, I\u2019d like to congratulate those who have been selected in the Black Ferns for the first time and their wh\u0101nau.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe past few months have been highly competitive in camp, and this is a testament to all the work they\u2019ve put in throughout the women\u2019s rugby pathway to get to this moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a great mix of experience in this squad, and we can\u2019t wait for our fresh talent to experience their first Black Ferns test environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tournament gets underway with a clash against the USA on April 12 (NZ time) in California, they then play Canada (April 18) in Missouri before returning downunder to meet Australia (April 25) on the Sunshine Coast.<\/p>\n
Black Ferns 30-strong squad for the Pacific Four Series<\/p>\n
Loosehead props<\/p>\n
Maddison Robinson (24, Canterbury, uncapped)<\/p>\n
Awhina Tangen-Wainohu (28, Waikato, 10 tests)<\/p>\n
Chryss Viliko (25, Auckland, 19 tests)<\/p>\n
Hookers <\/p>\n
Vici-Rose Green (23, Waikato, 5 tests)<\/p>\n
Atlanta Lolohea (22, Canterbury, 10 tests)<\/p>\n
Georgia Ponsonby (26, Canterbury, 37 tests)<\/p>\n
Tighthead props<\/p>\n
Tanya Kalounivale (27, Waikato, 27 tests)<\/p>\n
Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu (21, Waikato, 3 tests)<\/p>\n
Mo\u2019omo\u2019oga Palu (24, Hawke\u2019s Bay, uncapped)<\/p>\n
Locks<\/p>\n
Laura Bayfield (27, Canterbury, 6 tests)<\/p>\n
Chelsea Bremner (30, Canterbury, 24 tests)<\/p>\n
Maiakawanakaulani Roos (24, Auckland, 38 tests)<\/p>\n
Maama Mo\u2019onia Vaipulu (23, Auckland, 7 tests)<\/p>\n
Loose forwards <\/p>\n
Mia Anderson (24, Waikato, uncapped) <\/p>\n
Taufa Bason (19, Manawat\u016b, uncapped) <\/p>\n
Liana Mikaele-Tu\u2019u (24, Auckland, 35 tests)<\/p>\n
Kaipo Olsen-Baker (23, Manawat\u016b, 16 tests)<\/p>\n
Kennedy Tukuafu (29, Waikato, 34 tests) \u2013 co-captain<\/p>\n
Halfbacks <\/p>\n
Maia Joseph (23, Otago, 16 tests) <\/p>\n
Tara Turner (22, Northland, uncapped)<\/p>\n
First-fives<\/p>\n
Ruahei Demant (30, Auckland, 51 tests) \u2013 co-captain <\/p>\n
Hannah King (22, Canterbury, 10 tests)<\/p>\n
Midfield<\/p>\n
Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai\u2019i Sylvia Brunt (22, Auckland, 29 tests)<\/p>\n
Amy Du Plessis (26, Canterbury, 22 tests)<\/p>\n
Hollyrae Mete-Renata (22, Manawat\u016b, uncapped)<\/p>\n
Outside backs<\/p>\n
Renee Holmes (26, Waikato, 29 tests)<\/p>\n
Ayesha Leti-I\u2019iga (27, Wellington, 30 tests)<\/p>\n
Justine McGregor (19, Black Ferns Sevens, uncapped) <\/p>\n
Mererangi Paul (27, Counties Manukau, 14 tests)<\/p>\n
Shyrah Tuliau-Tua\u2019a (19, Waikato, uncapped)<\/p>\n
Unavailable for selection: Luka Connor (knee), Kaea Nepia (leg), Layla Sae (knee), Santo Taumata (knee).<\/p>\n
Wider training group remaining in camp: Ariana Bayler, Leilani Hakiwai, Marcelle Parkes, Elinor-Plum King, Cilia-Marie Po\u2019e-Tofaeono, Sam Taylor, Holly Wratt-Groeneweg. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the PWR season runs through until late June, there is a two-month break between rounds 16 and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343837,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7022,49722,13845,84021,9359,6119,10541,3011,13742,6276,42,22311,78,43,13572,10702,5415,26890,67160,1557,1516,40,38,41,39,183366],"class_list":["post-343836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-black","tag-coaching","tag-eight","tag-eligibility","tag-exemption","tag-faces","tag-ferns","tag-four","tag-georgia","tag-gets","tag-headlines","tag-hooker","tag-in","tag-news","tag-pacific","tag-players","tag-playing","tag-ponsonby","tag-ranks","tag-squad","tag-staff","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-uncapped"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}