Rugby: Black Ferns take eight new caps on tour to England

Auckland's Victoria Grant will captain the side after the retirement of Melissa Ruscoe. Photo / Getty Images

Four-time women's rugby World Cup champions the Black Ferns will tour England next month with eight new caps and a new head coach.

The team will play three tests against World Cup runners-up England on November 26 and 29 and December 3, with the first match at Twickenham.

Auckland's Victoria Grant will captain the side after the retirement of Melissa Ruscoe.

Grant, who captained the Black Ferns once last year, has been in the side since 2006 and has 14 caps.

The Black Ferns have several new caps including four from national provincial championship winners Auckland - Eloise Blackwell, Rawinia Everitt, Kalani Matapo and Hazel Tubic, and three from NPC runners-up Wellington - Muteremoana Aiatu, Shakira Baker and Katarina Whata.

Lydia Crossman from Hawkes Bay is also a newcomer to the squad and Canterbury's Amanda Murphy is playing for the team for the first time since 2009. Kathleen Wilton, a 2007 Black Fern, has been included after the Otago-based prop returned from playing overseas.

Several members of last year's squad were unavailable for selection, including 2010 IRB women's personality of the year Carla Hohepa (overseas), Monalisa Codling (retired), Victoria Heighway, Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox and Halie Hurring (overseas), Joan Sione and Linda Itunu (injured), Huriana Manuel and Ruth McKay.

Grant Hansen, stepping up from the assistant role to take on head coach duties, said he was excited about the new crop of players.

"With a number of the World Cup-winning Black Ferns unavailable this year, it's encouraging to have this series to blood some of the new players," he said.

The three tests against England will be repeated next year and in 2013 and Hansen was thrilled with the prospect of annual fixtures against their traditional arch rivals.

"For the players to have a series between the world's top two women's teams at the end of each season to strive towards is great news for the development of the women's game," he said.

The team assembles in Auckland on November 17 for a three-day camp before departing for London on November 20.

SQUAD

Muteremoana Aiatu* (Wellington), Shakira Baker* (Wellington), Eloise Blackwell* (Auckland), Mel Bosman (Hawke's Bay), Kelly Brazier (Canterbury), Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury), Lydia Crossman* (Hawke's Bay), Rawinia Everitt* (Auckland), Fiao'o Fa'amausili (Auckland), Victoria Grant (c) (Auckland), Trish Hina (Auckland), Emma Jensen (Auckland), Justine Lavea (Auckland), Kalani Matapo* (Auckland), Rebecca Mahoney (Wellington), Amanda Murphy (Canterbury), Karina Penetito (Auckland), Casey Robertson (Canterbury), Vita Robinson (Auckland), Amiria Rule (Canterbury), Aroha Savage (Auckland), Doris Taufateau (Auckland), Hazel Tubic* (Auckland), Katarina Whata* (Wellington), Renee Wickliffe (Auckland), Kathleen Wilton (Otago)

*denotes new cap