Players from both Hora Hora and Dargaville (seen here) will be in good hands in Northland's top women's team under coaches Cheryl Smith and Susan Dawson in the Farah Palmer Cup. Photo / Adam Pearse
Players from both Hora Hora and Dargaville (seen here) will be in good hands in Northland's top women's team under coaches Cheryl Smith and Susan Dawson in the Farah Palmer Cup. Photo / Adam Pearse
If you look at New Zealand's Super Rugby and domestic men's rugby teams, the coaching staff is littered with former All Blacks and national representatives.
Even our own Northland Taniwha are guided by 2005 All Black and Blues player from 2002 to 2007, Derren Witcombe. With coaching experience at anational age-group level, it's clear the value Witcombe brings to a team with plenty of local talent.
What all these coaches have in common and what makes them all qualified to be a coach, is that they've done it all before. From their teenage years, most have been involved in the national set-up, learning from a range of different coaches as to how to appropriately manage a team.
It has always been a natural transition from playing to coaching. A way to stay in the game, employ and perfect the lessons you've learned over your playing career, and add to your place in our national game's history.
But when we look at our domestic women's rugby competition, the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC), the same doesn't hold true for our Black Ferns and coaching.
Employing extensive online researching and a phone call or two to people in the know, it appears only a handful of women hold major coaching roles across the competition's 12 teams in 2018.
Even fewer have experience as a part of the Black Ferns unit as most teams have one or more male coaches at the helm.
Now, I have nothing against men coaching women's sports teams. I believe gender shouldn't have anything to do with how you coach because it comes down to your values.
In some cases, female teams have preferred a male coach like England's national women's football team did. From all reports, they were eager to be coached by former England international Phil Neville to experience a different style to what they had been accustomed to.
But when it comes to coaches, I believe there is a very real benefit to having a head or assistant coach that has done the business and knows exactly how to handle the pressures at a high level from their own experiences.
That's just what will be on offer for Northland's FPC team with head coach, Cheryl Smith, and assistant coach Susan Dawson. These two former Black Ferns will be at the helm of Northland's first voyage into the domestic competition's championship division.
Northland's dynamic duo. Former Black Ferns Cheryl Smith (left) and Susan Dawson will be at the helm for Northland's first season in the Farah Palmer Cup. Photo / Supplied
Considering nearly all teams will be without this kind of experience and knowledge, Northland has to be thought of as one of the most dangerous teams in the competition.
Not only are Smith and Dawson battle-ready from years of toil at the top level, they will have all the tips and tricks for success in the women's game, with some of which remaining unknown to the rest of the field.
Northland already has a strong chance in this year's competition despite their inexperience. The team could feature as many as three current Black Ferns come their first game in September with the possibility of more coming back from other regions once this Northland side proves its worth.
People involved in Northland's rugby community will know the talent the region possesses, which has been on show in the premier women's competition being run in Northland this year.
We have also seen glimpses of a great future with this year's under-15 and under-18 competitions, which have featured a number of talented players who could easily be the next generation of Black Ferns.
Northland's presence in the Black Ferns also continues to grow as we see no less than five women from the north named in the national squad to take on Canada in a super series which starts this morning.
Looking ahead to the FPC, it won't all be smooth sailing. Rugby teams don't just appear out of nowhere and I know an incredible amount of work has been done and needs to be done behind the scenes to ensure Northland's place at the domestic level.
But with two experienced warriors as coaches and an eager playing group mixed with international and local stars, there is no telling what Northland could achieve.
Northland's first game in the FPC is away against Hawke's Bay on September 7. They will play three home games against North Harbour, Otago and Tasman, and another away game against Taranaki.
