Riki Flutey: 'I'm looking forward to helping the Black Ferns grow'

In 2016, Riki Flutey was watching Portia Woodman-Wickliffe run amok for the Black Ferns Sevens at the Rio Olympics when his intrigued eight-year-old daughter, Maddie, caught his eye.

“That could be you,” Riki hinted.

A decade later, Maddie has played first five-eighth for Otago in the Farah Palmer Cup and for the Exeter Chiefs in Premiership Women’s Rugby, during which time she earned an England Under-21 selection.

Maddie has since committed to returning to New Zealand to study law while furthering her rugby ambitions.

Could she one day be coached by her dad, who joined the Black Ferns as an assistant coach in April 2025?

“She’ll have to ask Mum first,” Flutey laughed to RugbyPass.

“When I finished playing, the transition from coaching males to females was smooth. It started with seven years at Columbia College in Dunedin, where I helped my daughter’s teams. The girls were eager to learn, honest and keen to grow connections.

“In my time with the Highlanders men, I found those at the highest levels of the game ask good questions and are eager to problem solve. That’s the same as the women I coached at college, with the University prems, other rep sides and the Black Ferns. I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping the Black Ferns grow in 2026.”

Flutey was born in Ngawi, a small fishing and holiday village within five kilometres of Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of New Zealand’s North Island.

He attended Te Aute College in the Hawke’s Bay and was a member of the first New Zealand team to win the Under-19 Rugby World Cup in 1999. Richie McCaw (148 Tests, 131 wins) was in the same side.

The versatile outside back played 57 games (30 wins, 173 points) for Wellington and 38 games (18 wins, 174 points) for the Hurricanes between 1999 and 2005. His most significant achievements in New Zealand were winning the NPC Premiership with Wellington in 2000 and helping the Hurricanes reach the Super Rugby semis in 2003 and 2005 – the same year he played in the Maori All Blacks‘ 27-25 win over Fiji in Suva.

His career in England started with 48 appearances and 269 points for London Irish. After he moved to London Wasps, he won a Guinness Premiership in 2007/08, a feat which earned him selection for England.

Flutey played 14 Tests for England between 2008 and 2011. The high point was winning the Six Nations in 2011 and gained selection for the British & Irish Lions’ 2009 tour of South Africa.

Flutey started the third Test, a 28-9 victory over the Springboks in Johannesburg, which was the British & Irish Lions’ equal biggest win against the Springboks and matched the Pretoria 1974 scoreline. Flutey’s last professional contract as a player was with the Ricoh Black Rams in Japan.

His Black Ferns appointment has seen him involved with seven victories in 10 Tests. The Black Ferns will be eager to defend their Pacific Four Series (PAC4) title in April against Australia, Canada and the USA as they endeavour to eventually knock world champions England off their perch.

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The Black Ferns surrendered their title as world champions for the first time in eight years last September, when they were beaten 34-19 by Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final at Ashton Gate in Bristol.

“The Canada defeat was disappointing,” Flutey said. “We were confident we had the team to win the World Cup, but we didn’t deliver. Still, there were a lot of things we learned that will help us in the future.

“The PWR has definitely lifted standards across the board. It’s not just England’s leading players involved; it’s France, the USA and Canada getting exposure to tough, regular, professional competition.

“We’ve had Ruahei Demant, Georgia Ponsonby, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, and Maia Roos in our squad for PAC4 part of PWR, which will be massive for their growth and add a lot to our group.

“I came into the Black Ferns just before PAC4 last year. My first role was just to keep an eye on the team, connect with the players and see where I could have an influence on the team.

“One area of growth I’m proud of is the kicking game. The girls are eager to run it from everywhere. We have athletes who can do that, which is great, but sometimes you need to kick to get out of trouble, turn the opposition around, or present a different attacking picture.

“Not all kicks have to be an exit. You can control a game by kicking. The girls have made real improvements in an area that isn’t always familiar to them.”

Half-backs Maia Joseph and Tara Turner, first-fives Ruahei Demant and Hannah King and full-back Renee Holmes are all central to an improved Black Ferns kicking strategy.

While the Black Ferns will be without HSBC SVNS Series champions Braxton Sorenson-McGee, Jorja Miller and Katelyn Vahaakolo for PAC4; Sylvia Brunt, Mererangi Paul, Renee Holmes and Kaipo Olsen-Baker are app players that can provide fireworks.

The eight new caps selected bristle with youthful exuberance. Props Maddi Robinson and Mo’omo’oga Palu are renowned for their robust and mobile approach. Taufa Bason won a Super Rugby Aupiki title for the Blues and joined loose forward Mia Anderson on the Black Ferns XV tour of South Africa in 2025.

Scrum-half Tara Turner is nippy with lightning footwork from an accomplished touch background. Justine McGregor has featured for the Black Ferns Sevens, Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a won an FPC Premiership with Waikato and Hollyrae Mete-Renata was statistically the most potent attacking player in the 2024 FPC, won by Manawatu. She has played Super Rugby Aupiki for Matatu under the tutelage of new Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen.

“In New Zealand, we are disadvantaged by our geography, with access to harder competition not easily available,” Flutey admitted.

“That can’t be an excuse. We’ve worked hard to improve pathways. Kendra Cocksedge is doing great work in that space, mentoring young players out of school into what being a professional looks like. Giving them some of the advice and resources they need to succeed.

“Braxton Sorenson-McGee is one of those who backed her ability, and look what happened? She won World Rugby’s most promising Player of the Year award with 11 tries in six games at the World Cup.”

The Black Ferns will be hoping to unearth the next Braxton Sorenson-McGee in the Pacific, which starts on April 11 against the USA at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, California.