Source: Radio New Zealand
It didn’t take long for the fact that Whitney Hansen was following in her father’s considerable footsteps to be brought up, as the newly announced Black Ferns coach faced the media for the first time. However, Hansen couldn’t speak highly enough of the support and guidance of father Sir Steve, who coached the All Blacks from 2012-2019.
“He’s just been super supportive and backing myself to be me and the best version of that. We always have some really cool conversations around the rugby, and we’ll continue to do that,” said Hansen at NZ Rugby’s Auckland office.
Hansen laughed off a request to do an impression of her often imitated father but said that the World Cup winning coach wasn’t alone in backing her for the job.
Steve Hansen PhotoSport
“I have a lot of awesome people I’ve got in my corner, I feel privileged really.”
The connection between father and daughter so early on wasn’t a surprise, but Hansen’s appointment isn’t a massive one either as she had been earmarked as only the second female Black Ferns coach after Vicky Dombrowski. There was some speculation that one of the existing staff would step into the role left behind by Allan Bunting, after the Black Ferns’ World Cup semifinal exit resulted in him not seeking reappointment. However, Hansen said that her arrival won’t result in any sort of hard reset.
“That team didn’t get some of the outcomes that they were working towards. But what I do know, from the information I’ve been given so far and from I guess being a bit looking on from the outside is we’ve had incredible growth in the Black Ferns, around culture, around athleticism, and playing the way we’re playing the game, so I’m just excited to build on it.”
In a broader sense, she did acknowledge that developing test level players remains an area of concern, given how short the Super Rugby Aupiki season currently is, which means that Hansen will oversee players coming through that pathway.
Photosport
“That absolutely could be better, and I think if we look worldwide I would say that probably for everywhere,” admitted Hansen.
“But I’m super excited about how we do that.”
It’s fair to say that 2025 was a challenging year overall for the women’s game in New Zealand, with much hinging on the ultimately unsuccessful World Cup campaign and patchy form in the Pacific Four Series. There’s been a shakeup in the domestic game too, with the Farah Palmer Cup cut down to a regional competition with a six game regular season.
Black Ferns dejected at full time of their World Cup semifinal loss to Canada. www.photosport.nz
“One of the things in my appointment was about the rugby vision and where that’s going to go. But also, we’re in a really special time where we’re still developing the pathway professionalism. And the women’s game is still very much in its infancy.”
Nonetheless, Hansen will oversee another landmark year for the Black Ferns, with the team set to visit South Africa for the first time ever. There’s also the start of the new WXV Global Series, with the world’s top 12 teams set to play in a home-and-away, cross-regional tournament.
There is no doubt that Hansen will have a fair bit of pressure on her due to the Black Ferns entering into what can only be described as a rebuild, however she said she can always count on her father for advice.
“My dad is an amazing supporter of who I am as a human being. I think regardless of what I was doing and when my whole family is like that, they’re just so proud to see me to achieve some success and love what I do.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
