'Real confidence': Whitney Hansen on the Black Ferns' high-achieving rookies

The class of 2026 has wasted no time making an impact for the Black Ferns, with all nine debutants this year continuing to push for Test selection week after week. Head coach Whitney Hansen is far from surprised.

With an up-close-and-personal view of the next generation of talent coming through New Zealand’s ranks, Hansen has seen the new crop coming and knew whom she wanted to invest playing time in her first year at the helm of the national team.

Tara Turner, Amarante Sititi, Maddi Robinson, Mo’omo’oga Palu, Justine McGregor, Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a, Ngano Tavake, Maia Davis and Elinor-Plum King have all etched their names into the Black Ferns logbook in the first year of this new Rugby World Cup cycle, and many of those players are already helping define the new era of Black Ferns rugby.

Turner, Sititi, Robinson, Tuliau-Tua’a and McGregor have all been selected in the matchday 23 for the second Test of the Black Ferns series against France in Whangarei this weekend, having swiftly earned Hansen’s trust.

“I think there are athletes that come through and surprise in that space, on the world stage, often. Whether or not it’s much of a surprise to us – I get to watch all the behind-the-scenes stuff and see them at training,” the coach said after naming her side on Thursday morning.

“I remember the first time we had the likes of an Amarante (Sititi) at camp, and we sort of had a bit of a joke on the radio that someone needed to be getting there on the sideline, getting her a contract very quickly. We obviously didn’t do that in that moment, but I think you see moments of that ‘special’ as they come into camp, across their Super (Rugby) campaigns and in those trainings.

“And so, not surprised, but just super grateful that all of those athletes in our space at the moment feel like they can show up, be themselves, and play with real confidence.”

King has been the most consistent presence in the Test team since her debut earlier this year, but wasn’t selected for the Whangarei Test, with Layla Sae instead backed in the No.7 jersey.

“Look, she’s been phenomenal for us,” Hansen said of the young openside flanker. “We asked some things of her in Super coming off the back of a non-selection in PacFour, in and around her physicality and what that was going to look like, and for her to prove herself in that Super space, she absolutely did that, and everything we’ve asked of her since, she has risen to.

“She’s so hardworking. She’s incredibly diligent, super humble, disappointed not to play because she’s also incredibly competitive. But again, she understands we need everyone to be ready, and this is an opportunity for Layla this week, and we won’t take two specialist sevens in the squad that we’ve picked for the weekend.

“So, her mindset went very much to ‘what do I do to serve the team?’ And I know that she’ll be hissing out there at training this afternoon to make sure that the team is ready come Saturday.”