Years of struggle and sacrifice are, finally, evolving for the Black Ferns.
The days of New Zealand's elite women's XVs players juggling full-time careers alongside rugby commitments are coming to an end, with 29 Black Ferns ushering in a new era of vastly improved contracts.
For those who went beforeand those senior Black Ferns with more than a decade of experience, the move to increase annual payments to around $35,000 has been a long time coming.
With assembly and appearance fees, and contributions to a retirement fund, to be paid on top of new contracts, lower tier Blacks Ferns stand to earn around $60,000 a year while leading players are expected to pocket upwards of $130,000.
For 46-test veteran and Epsom Girls' Grammar teacher Eloise Blackwell, who debuted for the Black Ferns 11 years ago, professional contracts have been decades in the making.
"It's been a massive juggle and struggle but we did it because we love the game," Blackwell said. "The biggest thing you give up is time with family – I don't see them that much even though they're a 30-minute plane ride away. Those are the big things that maybe now we can get back - that quality time with our whānau.
"For me and a lot of the girls who have juggled full-time work and rugby at this stage in our careers it's going to be the most beneficial thing we've ever been able to do because now we can solely focus on our craft and actually dedicate time to recovery and rehab that we always cut off or put to the side because we were too busy. This is going to be huge in terms of performance."
Eloise Blackwell in action against England. Photo / Photosport
The disparity between the leading teams in Europe and the Black Ferns was stark on the end of year tour when England and France recorded record victories ahead of this year's World Cup in New Zealand. Those results left the Black Ferns significant ground to close on teams that long wrapped professional environments around their women.
"To say we have 29 professionally contracted players is awesome but it's about time, it needed to happen," Blackwell said. "We need to be solely dedicating our time to our full-time job as rugby players if we are to compete against those first-tier nations.
"There's such a huge gap so hopefully now with us being contracted we can put more time into that craft and make sure we can compete when we come up against them later this year."
Ruahei Demant moved to Auckland from the Bay of Plenty to study at university, completing her bachelor of laws and arts in 2020 to work at the North Shore District Court as a deputy criminal registrar while representing the Black Ferns in 14 tests.
Demant is thankful to her now Auckland coach Anna Richards, a four-time World Cup winner and one of New Zealand's greatest female players, and others who paved the way for the genuine professional pathways only now emerging.
"I wish it came earlier for my friends who have represented this team in the past," Demant said. "I wish it came earlier for the girls who sacrificed so much; time away from their families, jobs, incomes. I hope from their sacrifices and the rewards we're reaping now with these contracts that we're able to train hard and get the results this team deserves."
Ruahei Demant kicks the ball. Photo / Photosport
In many ways the 29 professional contracts represent a starting point. Five more are expected to follow this year and with the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki competition featuring five NZ teams scheduled to start next month, this group of female pioneers can chart further progress for future generations.
The likes of 18-year-old Auckland first five-eighth Patricia Maliepo now no longer must balance taxing work at Post Haste freight in Penrose alongside her sporting dreams.
"My hope for the future is we can become more professional; that there's more contracts, more competitions so more women who love playing rugby get the opportunities we're getting and they don't have to balance things like we've had to do for so long," Demant said.
"It's exciting for young school girls coming through because they're not going to know what any of this means. In five, six years they can cruise on through just like the boys and hopefully the equality between men's and women's sport at that stage with regards to professionalism will be on par."
With professionalism comes responsibility and expectations. While the move to establish full-time athletes arrives at the 11th hour in terms of this year's World Cup, swift improvements will be demanded as the Black Ferns progress from Super Rugby Aupiki to their Pacific Four tournament against the USA, Australia and Canada and the Laurie O'Rielly series against the Wallaroos, before hosting the World Cup from October 8 to November 12.
Black Ferns head coach Glenn Moore is expected to retain his position for that pinnacle event after positive feedback from other players but the review into Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate's social media post, in which she attributed her mental breakdown to his alleged critical comments on last December's northern tour, remains ongoing.
"We didn't get the results on the end of year tour but a lot of what people didn't see was how tight our team was off the field. Leading into this year personally I reflected on those really hard lessons. We've got heaps of work to do, we know that," Demant said. "We're working really hard across our hubs and when we come together as a team. It's not only our mana on the line but the legacy of this team winning championships."
