What sacrifices New Zealand women make to reach the Black Ferns
Ask Kendra Cocksedge, Eloise Blackwell and Ruahei Demant what the word sacrifice means to them, and they will offer you an insight into the challenges they have overcome to become Black Ferns.
“I would define sacrifice as… that’s a tough one,” Demant, a 10-game Black Ferns utility back, said speaking on behalf of Healthspan Elite.
“I would define sacrifice as always there. I see it when you turn up at 5:30am in the morning, the girls look tired and the girls are sore, but everyone’s there ready to go, ready to train, ready to sacrifice a little bit more time.”
Blackwell, a 43-game Black Ferns lock, echoed her international teammate’s sentiments.
“I think, for me, sacrifice is putting things on hold for a goal or something that you want to achieve,” she said.
The goal Blackwell is referring to is, of course, the dream of representing Aotearoa in Test rugby; to take on the world while donning the Black Ferns jersey.
Just as the All Blacks do for any male rugby player from New Zealand, the Black Ferns represent the pinnacle of Kiwi rugby for Aotearoa’s female rugby players.
Like those who strive to become All Blacks, New Zealand’s female players undergo every bit as challenging a journey to achieve their goal of becoming a Black Fern.
While those who aim and go on to become All Blacks enter an environment that’s been professional for the best part of 20 years, the Black Ferns operate in a developing market and often need to juggle work and family commitments alongside rugby.
New Zealand’s leading female players often have to chase their goals as semi-professional or amateur players but just like the All Blacks they are fuelled by their passion for the game.
To reach the Black Ferns requires time and effort.
As a result, hours of training and preparation are commonplace in the weekly schedules of New Zealand’s top female players, but just how they fit those hours around their work commitments and social lives is a balancing act.
Working a full-time job outside of rugby and finding time for friends and family, especially for those who are mothers, are just two of the many things that present challenges for female rugby’s elite.
Cocksedge has a similar story of the uphill battle she has faced to become one of the greatest Black Ferns ever.
“I started as a 19-year-old and, for me, I probably made a lot of choices that probably ended up me neglecting my friends and family,” Cocksedge, the 53-Test Black Ferns halfback, said.
“Especially my first three or four years in this side, and I got to the point where it wasn’t working for me on the field.
“That’s probably one of the hardest things you go through in your career.
“I choose right now to work full-time. I don’t necessarily have to, but, some of the other girls coming through in the future, hopefully it ends up being a full-time gig, which I’m really excited about, paving that way for those ones coming in.”
A 2017 Women’s World Cup winner, Cocksedge also has the distinction of becoming the only woman to win the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year Award as New Zealand’s top player in 2018.
Those are only two of numerous accolades and feats the 33-year-old has achieved in her career, but those achievements haven’t come without substantial sacrifices.
The same can be said for Blackwell, who works as a full-time teacher in addition to her role as Black Ferns captain.
“Being a rugby player and a full-time employee as a teacher, it’s a massive life-balance with trying to find time for my social life, but it’s something that all the girls have juggled for as long as I can remember and as long as this team has been together.”
Demant added she and her teammates rely on the good will of their employers in order to play for the Black Ferns.
“We couldn’t do what we do without having understanding employers who understand that we may be these people who are at work, but outside of that, we work hard to represent our country,” she said.
The professionalism of female rugby in New Zealand would go some way to alleviating the stress and concerns shared by the country’s leading women’s players.
Efforts have been made in recent years to give the Black Ferns more substantial financial support, although Cocksedge believes there is still plenty of room for growth for the women’s game.
“Now we’re at a point where we’re getting semi-professionally paid and I still work full-time, so it’s working out, I guess, how to manage that and load that and it’s not necessarily easy,” she said.
“I’m lucky enough to be able to do that with my job, but, for other girls, it can be quite challenging.”
Nevertheless, Demant is excited about what the future holds for women’s rugby in New Zealand.
“With the recent contracting of female players by New Zealand Rugby, I think our women’s rugby in New Zealand has become a lot more professional,” she said.
“We’re acknowledged, I guess, for the time that we sacrifice away from our lives.
“With professionalism comes more resources, more time, players are able to play better rugby. It’s simple.”
Healthspan Elite are proud to be the Official Sports Nutrition Partner for the Black Ferns as well as the All Blacks. Both teams trust Healthspan Elite to supplement their diets with high quality nutritional supplements. The range, which has been sold in the UK for 8 years is developed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who aspire to reach peak performance.
The full range of Healthspan Elite products are available here in the UK and here in New Zealand.
Connect with Healthspan Elite on social on Facebook or Instagram and the Black Ferns on Instagram or Facebook.
Comments on RugbyPass
I think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to comments