‘The future of the Black Ferns’: NZ U21 captain reacts to historic fixture

“This is the future of the Black Ferns,” New Zealand Under 21 captain Anahera Hamahona proudly declared after leading the side to a 43-10 victory over Australia NextGen U21. Future Test stars graced the field at One NZ Stadium, playing their part in a groundbreaking fixture.

New Zealand Rugby announced a few days before the fixture that Manawatu openside Hamahona had been named the team’s inaugural captain. It’s the first-ever fixture for both these teams, who played before the Black Ferns faced France in the WXV Global Series season finale.

19-year-old Taufa Bason was one of six Black Ferns XV players in the lineup, and the backrower had been included in the top squad before the Pacific Four Series. Bason started at No. 8, joining blindside Zara Feaunati and Hamahona in the loose forwards.

Ella Hnederson crossed for the first-ever try for the New Zealand U21, before the visitors hit back through NSW Waratahs and Warringah Rats winger Lily Gillett. But the New Zealanders bounced back with two quick tries to winger Lialanie Muamua, which swung the match the home side’s way.

New Zealand took a convincing 24-5 lead into the break and ‘won’ the second-half 19-5, with three others getting on the scoresheet. But both Hamahona and Australia NextGen co-captain Faitala Moleka spoke positively post-game, as they soaked up the magnitude of the occasion.

“To be the first captain, it’s a privilege, and to be the first team to get this win, man, we’re just so honoured and we’re so grateful for New Zealand Rugby giving us this pathway for the future,” Hamahona said on Sky Sport.

“You’ve seen it yourself, this is the future of the Black Ferns. Thank you all so much.

“It is so important for our game. Some of our girls, they only play [Farah Palmer Cup]. And the bridge between FPC, Super and Black Ferns, there’s a lot of work to be done,” the No. 7 added.

“This is a starting point and they’ve done such a great job with the professionalism and getting their pathways up and running.

“The effort is there so we’re really grateful for that.”

Sariyah Paitai, Presayus Singh and Kiera Su’a-Smith made their own try-scoring history during the second 40, as the New Zealanders celebrated this landmark fixture with a comprehensive result at the state-of-the-art Christchurch venue.

Gillett became the first-ever try-scorer for the Australia NextGen side, and completed a double during the second half. Ruby Anderson shared co-captaincy duties with Moleka, who had been named the Wallaroos Player of the Year two days earlier.

“We knew it was gonna be difficult finding that gel because we’ve only been together for a week, but we knew our superpowers,” Hamahona reflected.

“We love the collision so we really wanted to bring that into this game and once we got into our dirty work, man, they just couldn’t keep up.”