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'We expect a fierce battle at set piece': Chelsea Bremner prepares to face England

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 04: Chelsea Bremner of New Zealand faces a challenge from Rosie Galligan of England during the WXV1 match between New Zealand Silver Ferns and England at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart on November 04, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Chelsea Bremner is a winner. In 19 tests for the Black Ferns, the lock has won 17 times with a similarly successful record at the domestic level. 

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In 44 appearances for Canterbury, she has 43 wins. In Super Rugby Aupiki, Bremner has beaten every team and enjoys an 8-2 record.

Bremner featured in all 12 tests of the Black Ferns’ euphoric 2022 Rugby World Cup winning season, but times have been chequered since.

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‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

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    ‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

    With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
    in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
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    A concussion injury restricted her 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki campaign to three games and she missed the Black Ferns stuttering Pacific Four Series in April and May. 

    She returned to the Black Ferns in July and was typically efficient in the 62-0 whitewash of Australia in Brisbane. 

    “There were lots of things we were happy with in that game, but there is plenty to work on,” Bremner told RugbyPass.

    “We’ve got lots of young players coming through who bring excitement, energy and passion.

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    “Combining that natural talent with hard work, we’re excited to see how we will go in England and Canada. Utilising the strengths of our young players while coming up with the right balance to beat Northern Hemisphere teams is an awesome challenge.”

    The Black Ferns face England at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on September 14th before WXV 1 internationals in Canada against Ireland, France, and England. 

    Preparing for an onslaught of rolling mauls and more stifling opposition, the Black Ferns headed to Napier for a week of trial games, followed by a fortnight at the opulent NZCIS (New Zealand Campus of Innovation & Sport).

    “NZCIS is incredible. It has everything you need, a gym, good food, which is important for an athlete, single accommodation which gives you your own space, and a massive green room where you can set different temperatures,” Bremner acclaimed. 

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    “I love the lifestyle of a full-time athlete. When it gets tough, I remind myself I used to be a schoolteacher. I don’t have to get up at five in the morning to get gym done before a full 9-5 day.”

    “We’ve built strong connections and are developing a good game plan.”

    “We’re pushing each other to be better. We each have our own strengths but we help each other when we can. There’s a healthy rivalry within the squad.”

    Bremner will compete for a locking berth with Maia Roos (25 caps), sister Alana Bremner, and Auckland and Blues rookie Maama Vaipulu who pocketed two championships marking Bremner six months apart. 

    Experience might win the day for Bremner as England is stacked in the locking department. World Rugby Player of the Year Zoe Aldcroft has 54 caps,  while Rosie Galligan (16 caps), Abbie Ward (65 caps), and Morwenna Talling (14 caps) are all also named in the training squad.

    “England plays good rugby and has done for many years. We expect a fierce battle at set piece but we must be mindful of their other strengths too,” Bremner said.

    The Black Ferns and England have played 31 test matches with the Black Ferns holding a 19-11 advantage with an 8-8 draw in 2011.

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    J
    JW 41 minutes ago
    Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

    Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


    So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


    The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


    This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


    Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

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