Women in defense go head-to-head in inaugural New Zealand vs. France rugby match
FORUM Staff
In a match as much about camaraderie and cultural sharing as competition, New Zealand’s Defence Ferns team battled France in the first-ever women’s International Defence Rugby Championship (IDRC).
The October 25, 2022, contest, which ended with the French team narrowly ending New Zealand’s unbeaten run with a 9-8 victory, capped three weeks of tournament play that included six other teams: Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom and Vanuatu.
“To be connecting with women from other defense forces through rugby and representing your country and organization is pretty special,” Defence Ferns co-captain Cpl. Hayley Hutana said in a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) news release. “The connections and cultural ties formed off the field are special takeaways from this tournament, and ones we can hold onto and grow for a long time.”
Chief of New Zealand Army Maj. Gen. John Boswell, chair of NZDF Rugby, told the more than 300 attendees at the closing ceremony that he was proud to see military personnel from around the world engaging in sport at the highest level and forming lasting bonds.
“This tournament has been an incredibly important engagement opportunity for each of our defense forces, where players, coaches and support staff have been able to build on the special relationships and networks that exist between all of our countries,” Boswell said. (Pictured: France, wearing red and purple jerseys, narrowly defeated the New Zealand squad in the inaugural International Defence Rugby Championship in October 2022.)
He added that the tournament showed how the armed forces enable service members to follow their sporting passion while pursuing their careers, and that the match set the stage for the next IDRC, possibly in 2026.
New Zealand rugby legends Farah Palmer and Sir Wayne “Buck” Shelford, along with Dame Julie Christie, chair of Rugby World Cup-NZ, and Claire Beard, head of New Zealand’s women’s rugby, presented the trophies and individual medals.
Palmer spoke of “the three Cs” of the IDRC. She said the first two — camaraderie and culture — were on display as the players competed and learned about one another, leading to lasting friendships. The third — courage — was demonstrated on the field but also through the players’ military service.
“You’ve all shown courage doing what you do in defense, and we thank you for that, and you’ve shown courage to be the first to be a part of a tournament like this,” Palmer said in the NZDF release.
IMAGE CREDIT: NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE
