Women's rugby: Atkins furious after Black Ferns axing

Dale Atkins has taken a potshot at the New Zealand Rugby Union after learning he won't be reappointed as the Black Ferns women's national coach this year.

After two unbeaten years in the role, former Canterbury No 8 Atkins said he was told last month he was not wanted just 14 months out from next year's World Cup.

The New Plymouth schoolteacher said the decision couldn't be related to on-field performance and criticised the NZRU's attitude to women's rugby.

"When the NZRU want to cut budgets and save money they chop programmes and that's one of the first programmes to go, the Black Ferns," he told The Taranaki Daily News.

"All they do is give lip service to the girls."

Atkins said his sacking would end any long-term ambitions for coaching at a higher level.

"Was I disappointed, absolutely. For a couple of days you mourn it, but you get on with it," said Atkins, who was assistant coach to Jed Rowlands when New Zealand won the 2006 World Cup.

"But that's it for me for rugby, I'll just go and enjoy other parts of life really.

"I've been involved with professional rugby teams and seen the dog-eat-dog style, because everyone wants the job so bad, they'll crawl over your back to get it."

Atkins felt the Black Ferns job had almost become a "poisoned chalice" within New Zealand coaching circles.

An NZRU spokesperson said the union was still going through a recruitment process and no decision on the role had been made.

- NZPA