Black Ferns contract list shows struggle in balancing needs: Alice Soper

Allan Bunting. Photo / Photosport

OPINION

The Black Ferns contracted squad for the 2024 season was announced on Monday. It consists of 40 contracts that New Zealand Rugby offers to fend off overseas and cross-code advances on homegrown talent.

The pressure is relentless now, coming from all sides. From other codes and countries, from the ghost of coaches past and the clock ticking towards kick-off of the Rugby World Cup 2025.

First things first, there are 40 contracts but they don’t all expire at the same time. The first contracts were handed out by Glenn Moore at the beginning of 2022. This was an expensive exercise as the 30 who Moore signed were a very different squad to the one Wayne Smith took to the Rugby World Cup nine months later. This meant some players signed on partway through the year, putting them out of step with the cycle. Smith then went on to offer some players multi-year contracts.

All of which meant Allan Bunting actually only had 13 spots available for his selections this season.

It’s not just the messy launch of Black Ferns’ professionalism that Bunting is wrangling in his selections. There is also a legacy of under-investment in the front row. From 2012 to 2020, energy was put into the shorter format of sevens.

Is it any wonder then that we have an abundance of talent now in our loose forwards and outside backs? This is the player group that our current talent identification systems were designed for. They are the ones that we quickly scoop up into our high-performance spaces.

It’s for this reason that Bunting is using his relatively small pot of money to invest in the front row. Props make up 22.5 per cent of those currently contracted. That climbs to just under a third of the squad when you add in the hookers. Fulltime rugby for this group, which is so vital to us holding our own at the set piece, makes sense but it also makes for hardline calls. As a result, experienced halfback Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu and in-form winger Martha Mataele found themselves offside with this year’s picks.

Limited funds means limited options to try and tackle multiple issues. Props are in the spotlight this year but surely that light must swing over to first fives next. Just 5 per cent, or two, of the 40 contracted are listed as number 10s.

New Zealand rugby fans know all too well how important depth is at this position. Ruahei Demant won a World Rugby Player of the Year trophy in this spot but still always appears more comfortable in the 12 jersey. Hannah King is brought in as her apprentice but eyes will be keenly tuned to the Farah Palmer Cup to find others to join them.

Fixing these legacy issues from within the game is just one piece of the puzzle. There is now even more pressure to hold on to the talent that has been identified as the Black Ferns aren’t the only ones looking. I have written at length on the historic parallels we see with the men’s union versus league wars of the 90s and the position the women’s game is now in.

But another factor is player eligibility and that with the advent of WXV, Pacific Nations now have more tests than ever to offer those hungry for international opportunities.

Monica Tagoai was due to sign with Samoa this season. Having not been selected for the Black Ferns since 2018, this talented midfielder was about to put in her transfer to play for her country of birth. So it’s not just those uncapped with eligibility that New Zealand Rugby needs to keep an eye on. While the musical chairs of these 40 contracted slots continue, the selectors must keep an eye on the transfer clock.

A growing list of players to tackle a growing list of pressures. Our Black Fern selectors have made their choices to try and offer some release. Meanwhile, England lie waiting, ready to apply even more on the pitch when the Black Ferns run out at Twickenham this September.