Super Rugby: Blues and Chiefs to play in historic women's one-off clash at Eden Park in May

The Blues and Chiefs are set to play-out an historic one-off women's rugby match at Eden Park.

The game will take place on Saturday, May 1 at 4:35pm, preceding the Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the two men's sides.

Both franchises are excited by the women's match and are hopeful it helps lay the platform for a future Super Rugby women's competition.

"We are incredibly excited about this match. It is something both clubs have spoken about for some time now. We are really keen to develop a women's programme for the future. We see this as a huge opportunity to kick-start that dream," Blues CEO Andrew Hore says.

Chiefs CEO Michael Collins says it adds to the strength and growth of New Zealand women's rugby.

"We see Super Women's Rugby as the next step and felt we should come together to provide this opportunity for all the females playing the game within our region."

A Super Rugby clash and ideally, a competition, will significantly build on women's rugby in New Zealand, which currently consists of the Farah Palmer Cup which mirrors the men's Mitre 10 Cup competition.

"It is an exciting time for women's rugby with New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup and as a potential pathway towards that level, to have a game between the two Super teams with quite a number of the Black Ferns players is exciting," Blues skipper Eloise Blackwell says.

Chiefs women's assistant coach La Toya Mason believes this will change the women's game forever.

"The players have such a great opportunity ahead of them," she adds.

"It adds a whole new dynamic to what New Zealand Rugby Union can offer up and coming kiwi women in the pro rugby scene. It also gives the young girls out there playing rugby more role models to see and more rugby opportunities to aspire to, said Mason the 70 capped England international who played in three Rugby World Cups and eight Six Nations campaigns.

It continues the quick progression of the women's game both here and globally. Earlier this month, World Rugby announced plans for a 16-team international competition to help unify the calendar and raise competition.

Albeit delayed, the women's Rugby World Cup is also set to take place in New Zealand in 2022.