NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Now Farah takes on the media scrum

By Richard Boock
22 Sep, 2006 08:56 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer with the women's rugby world cup. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer with the women's rugby world cup. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Don't expect Farah Palmer to fade quietly into the background now she's a former Black Fern.

The New Zealand skipper retired from women's rugby this week after lifting her third consecutive World Cup, following a bruising and close-fought final against England at Edmonton.

The most decorated player in the women's
game, Palmer can look back on an 11-year international career in which she captained her country in 31 of 35 tests, including World Cup finals in Holland, Spain and Canada.

But if anyone thought the lecturer in sports sociology might now opt for the quiet life, well away from the confrontation, struggle and grind of top competition, they'd be off the mark.

The 33-year old is eyeing an even bigger battleground - raising awareness about equal opportunities for sportswomen, and challenging the state of chauvinism in sports media.

Palmer, a proud former scarfie from Otago University, said it was crucial that the New Zealand media better appreciated the influence they had on women's sport, and took the matter more seriously.

"We should be seeing action shots of women's sport rather than the pretty posy ones," she said.

"We should be taking it just as seriously as men's sport, rather than trivialising it or getting distracted by side-issues.

"Media have a massive influence on the accessibility of sport, and that applies to women's sport as much as anything."

Recent women's sports stories reported by the media here have included detailed investigations into the skimpy attire of tennis players, Maria Sharapova's grunting, and a basketball cheerleader who greeted a guest by leaping into his arms and wrapping her legs around him.

Palmer said she believed the problem wasn't quite as bad in New Zealand as in other countries, but wanted to see more of a commitment from Kiwi media to lift their standards.

"I wouldn't say I'm happy about what I see in New Zealand, although I don't think we're the worst.

"But it could be better and we should be trying to improve it.

"I understand there'll always be sexualisation of women's sport. But I also think that, as people learn more about a person, they tend to get over those sorts of things - that's where the media have an important role to play.

"Another solution is to hear from more women in the industry, and that's why it's really healthy to have people like [Sky rugby commentator] Melody Robinson coming through."

As for the future, Palmer said she had a few things in mind to keep herself reasonably fit, although she ruled out a return to the body-building programme she followed after almost retiring in 2003.

Initially a prop forward before she changed to rake, she reckoned she was built for stamina rather than speed and was subsequently considering throwing herself into the world of multisport.

"I'm thinking about endurance events, maybe half-marathons, triathlon, that sort of thing," she said. "I'm more into stamina events.

"I'm quite competitive and hate losing, so whatever I end up doing, I'll be trying to push myself."

However, she was just as enthusiastic about throwing herself into the issues surrounding gender and race equality in sport, and working towards creating a more level-playing field for all participants.

"There's always been a part of me that believes that everyone should have the same chance to explore their opportunities, irrespective of gender or race.

"So I'm looking forward to focusing more on writing research pieces and maybe tackling a book on Maori sport issues.

"I'm in a transitional period, and it's nice to be able to step back and consider all the options."

Asked for her favourite career memories, Palmer said that each World Cup triumph was slightly better than the previous one, and that the feeling after the win at Edmonton was something she would treasure for the rest of her life.

But she would also retain a place in her heart for the Otago University and women's rugby scene that nourished her love of the sport, and eventually set her up for the trip of a lifetime.

"Otago's rugby mad and that's where I developed a lot of my values and my love of life, really," she said.

"I just really enjoyed my time down there, made many friendships and still like going back.

"It always brings a smile to my face.

"Once a scarfie, always a scarfie. If you have a chance to have a Speights you always do, because it reminds you of some of the best days of your life."

Farah Palmer

Age: 33.

Tests: 35.

World Cup wins: 3 (1998, 2002, 2006).

Debut: 1996 v Australia.

Academia: BPhEd (Hons) 1994, PhD in sociology of sport in 2000.

Maori Sportsperson of the Year 1998.

IRB International Women's Personality of the Year 2005.

Member of Taskforce on New Zealand Sport 2000.

Member of the New Zealand Sports Disputes Tribunal.

Member of Nga Pae o te Maramatanga (Centre of Research Excellence - Maori).

Member of Te Mata o te Tau (Academy of Maori Research and Scholarship).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

All BlacksUpdated

Watch: Robertson talks All Blacks victory over France

07 Jul 01:03 AM
Black Caps

Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe broadcaster confirmed

07 Jul 12:20 AM
Premium
Opinion

Alex Powell: What does Red Bull’s Verstappen problem mean for Lawson?

06 Jul 11:45 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Watch: Robertson talks All Blacks victory over France

Watch: Robertson talks All Blacks victory over France

07 Jul 01:03 AM

All Blacks coach answers questions about Dunedin victory and second test plans

Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe broadcaster confirmed

Black Caps tour of Zimbabwe broadcaster confirmed

07 Jul 12:20 AM
Premium
Alex Powell: What does Red Bull’s Verstappen problem mean for Lawson?

Alex Powell: What does Red Bull’s Verstappen problem mean for Lawson?

06 Jul 11:45 PM
All Blacks 2025 schedule and results

All Blacks 2025 schedule and results

06 Jul 11:17 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP