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Phil Walter/Getty Images
Black Ferns No 10 Ruahei Demant is brought by two Australia defenders in their last year’s World Cup opener at Eden Park.
Allan Bunting’s first test as the new Black Ferns coach will be in Australia against the Wallaroos in June.
The trans-Tasman fixture will be the Black Ferns’ first in this year’s Pacific Four Series, before the world champions play Canada and the United States in Canada in July.
Bunting was last month confirmed as Wayne Smith’s replacement to lead the Black Ferns, the six-time Rugby World Cup winners, through to the next global tournament in England in 2025.
The dates and locations for their first tests since last year’s World Cup win have not been announced yet, although World Rugby on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ time) confirmed the series would begin with Canada playing the United States in Spain on April 1.
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The Black Ferns hosted the series in New Zealand last June and won it after beating Australia, Canada and the United States in successive weeks.
World Rugby has split this season’s series and the Black Ferns won’t play until late June, three months after their domestic competition, Super Rugby Aupiki, finishes on March 25.
It starts with a test between Canada and the United States in Madrid, with most of the players from both teams based in Europe, and they will play respective tests against South Africa and Spain in Madrid the week before they kick off the series.
Australia will then host the Black Ferns in late June – their first meeting since last year’s World Cup opener at Eden Park when the Black Ferns fought back to win 41-17 after trailing 17-0 in the first half.
The series will finish in Canada across two weekends in early July and the Black Ferns will play Canada before facing the United States.
There is more to play for in this season’s series.
STUFF
Allan Bunting was unveiled as the Black Ferns’ new director of rugby through to the 2025 World Cup (First published on February 10, 2023)
The top three will qualify for the first tier of the inaugural WXV, a new global women’s international 15s competition launching this year. Whoever finishes fourth will be in the second tier.
The Black Ferns are likely to crack the top three and would play three tests in the first WXV later this year against the top three teams from this season’s Six Nations.
England and France, who the Black Ferns beat last November for their first World Cup win on home soil, are likely to finish in that top three to set up rematches of their epic encounters in the final and semifinal respectively.
New Zealand Rugby is hoping to host those tests in October-November.
The Black Ferns are also scheduled to play the Wallaroos in the O’Reilly Cup series in August-September, with a test each in Australia and New Zealand, but dates have not been confirmed yet.
2023 Pacific Four Series
April 1: Canada v United States in Madrid, Spain
In Australia in June
Australia v Black Ferns (TBC)
In Canada in July
Canada v Black Ferns, United States v Australia (TBC)
Canada v Australia, United States v Black Ferns (TBC)
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