Women’s Super Rugby squads announced for 2022

The inaugural New Zealand Women’s Super Rugby competition, Super Rugby Aupiki, will be contested over four weekends in March 2022 and the four squads were announced on Thursday.

These include teams from the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes and a combined South Island line-up.

The Hurricanes squad of 26 players, with two to be added in December, features a mix of mostly Manawatu and Wellington players with one Hawke’s Bay player and a handful from outside the Hurricanes boundary.

It includes Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini (announced earlier in the week) and current Black Ferns Joanah Ngan-Woo, Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Iritana Hohaia, Cheyelle Robins-Reti and Dhys Faleafaga, former Black Ferns Jackie Patea-Fereti, Janna Vaughan, Selica Winiata, Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali and Monica Tagoai, and former Black Fern Sevens player Lyric Faleafaga.

Super Rugby Aupiki will feature almost 50 current or former Black Ferns players across the four squads. The Chiefs boast the most international experience, nudging slightly ahead of the Blues with almost 200 combined Black Ferns caps. Matatū (South Island) sees the most domestic experience with almost 800 Farah Palmer Cup caps between the 26 contracted players, over 200 more than the next team.

As well as the current Wellington players listed below, Georgia Daals has been contracted to the Chiefs. Thamsyn Newton’s name is missing, but it is presumed she has cricket commitments, as is Amanda Rasch’s and Fa’ausa Makisi’s.

Hawke’s Bay’s Moomooga (Ashley) Palu is the Matatū squad, along with Marcelle Parkes and Georgia Ponsonby, both originally from the Hurricanes region. Other recent former Hurricanes union players in other squads include Liana Mikaele-Tu’u (formerly Hawke’s Bay – Blues) and Kalyn Takitimu-Cook (formerly Manawatu – Blues).

The Hurricanes squad is (two players to be added):

Saphire Abraham, Auckland
Ana Afuie, Wellington
Lauren Balsillie, Manawatu
Kathleen Brown, Hawkes Bay
Carys Dallinger, Manawatu
Dhys Faleafaga, Wellington
Lyric Faleafaga, Wellington
Teilah Ferguson, Otago
Sarah Hirini, Manawatu
Iritana Hohaia, Taranaki
Isadora Leio-Laupola, Wellington
Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Wellington
Marilyn Live, Manawatu
Joanah Ngan-Woo, Wellington
Jayme Nuku, Manawatu
Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Manawatu
Jackie Patea-Fereti, Wellington
Cheyelle Robins-Reti, Waikato
Layla Sae, Manawatu
Kahurangi Sturmey Manawatu
Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali, Northland
Monica Tagoai, Wellington
Ngano Tavake, Manawatu
Esther Tilo-Faiaoga, Waikato
Janna Vaughan, Manawatu
Selica Winiata, Manawatu

The other three squads are (two players to be added to each squad):

Chiefs: Chelsea Alley, Ariana Bayler, Kelly Brazier, Luka Connor, Georgia Daals, Victoria Edmonds, Les Elder, Stacey Fluhler, Carla Hohepa, Chyna Hohepa, Grace Houpapa-Barrett, Tanya Kalounivale, Maia Joseph, Arihana Marino-Tauhinu, Angel Mulu, Kendra Reynolds, Kennedy Simon, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, Pia Tapsell, Santo Taumata, JayJay Taylor, Harono Te Iringa, Hazel Tubic, Ruby Tui, Renee Wickliffe, Kelsie Wills, Portia Woodman

Blues: Eloise Blackwell, Sylvia Brunt, Sam Curtis, Ruahei Demant, Princess Elliot, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Tenaija Fletcher, Mele Hufanga, Aldora Itunu, Tafito Lafaele, Patricia Maliepo, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Ilisapeta Molia, Natahlia Moors, Krystal Murray, Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Melanie Puckett, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Aroha Savage, Kalyn Takitimu-Cook, Vineta Teutau, Rebecca Todd, Cristo Tofa, Luisa Togotogorua, Chryss Viliko

Matatū: Lucy Anderson, Chelsea Bremner, Alana Bremner, Grace Brooker, Kendra Cocksedge, Natalie Delamere, Amy du Plessis, Terauoriwa Gapper, Julia Gorinski, Di Hiini, Renee Holmes, Lucy Jenkins, Rosie Kelly, Michaela Leonard, Martha Mataele, Pip Love, Arabella McKenzie, Liv McGoverne, Kilisitina Moata’ane, Greer Muir, Marcelle Parkes, Moomooga (Ashley) Palu, Georgia Ponsonby, Amy Rule, Grace Steinmetz, Steph Te Ohaere-Fox.