Three Black Ferns in team line up

Eketahuna will have three Black Ferns in their line-up when they defend the two Wellington premier division women's rugby titles they won this season in 2012.

First-five Rebecca Mahoney, centre Shakira Baker and prop Kathleen Wilton have all been selected in the New Zealand squad to take on arch rivals England in a three-test series in England in mid-November.

Mahoney and Baker were key members of this year's Fleur Trophy and Victoria Tavern Trophy-winning Eketahuna side while Wilton, who attended Tararua College at the same time as Mahoney, last played for the club in 2010. She accepted an invitation to play in Canada this season but will return to the Eketahuna fold next year.

For Mahoney, 28, selection for the Black Ferns is nothing new. She made her national team debut against Canada in 2004 and has appeared for them on 14 occasions, including being part of the successful World Cup sides in 2006 and 2010.

Wilton too has played for the Black Ferns before, making the team in 2008 when part of the Otago NPC line-up, but for Baker the forthcoming English tour will be her first in the New Zealand colours.

The experienced Mahoney is under no illusions of the magnitude of the task facing the Black Ferns in England where they will come up against the 2010 World Cup runners-up three times over a space of just seven days.

She expects England to follow their usual policy of selecting players who relish the more physical aspects of the game and anticipates the forward exchanges, in particular, being rugged. "They like to try and soften you up but we've got plenty of size in our forwards too so I'm sure we'll give every bit as good as we get ... it should get pretty fiery there." Mahoney sees both Wilton and Baker being important members of the Black Ferns squad. She described front rower Wilton as "very strong" with the mobility of an extra loose forward and is excited about the potential of the 19-year-old Baker, a prolific try-scorer with the "ideal mix of speed and strength".