The New Zealand Rugby Federation has apologized after the release of a report criticizing the management of the women’s team, which has been accused of favoritism and making hurtful comments by many players of Maori descent or from the islands in the Pacific ocean.
“This report highlights that we have not done everything right and we apologize for not providing all the tools for the success of our teams”said the federation’s director general, Mark Robinson, in a press release released Monday night after the release of a “cultural and environmental survey” within the Black Ferns, candidates for a sixth world title this year domestically.
“I felt like everything I did was wrong”
Black Ferns hooker Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate on Coach Glenn Moore’s comments to her
It was conducted by an independent team after allegations made by hooker Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate (30 years old, 33 caps), who stated in December that he was suffering from a ” nervous breakdown “† In particular, the player had complained on her Instagram account “head coach comments” Glenn Moore on his return from the disastrous tour of the Northern Hemisphere (two heavy defeats against England, then two more against France).
According to her, he had told her that she… “didn’t deserve his selection” or that she was “only reluctant to play guitar”† “I felt like everything I did was wrong”she added.
Wayne Smith at the bedside of the selection
According to the report, the situation during this tour “wasn’t well managed or controlled” and the criticism of Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate is shared by other female players, particularly of Maori descent, the indigenous Polynesian population of New Zealand or the South Pacific islands, who represent half and a quarter of the effective, respectively . They explained that they had not complained, out of fear “that it affects their chances of being selected”†
The report’s authors also deplore management’s focus on players’ weight rather than their performance, which has left some of them “ashamed of their bodies”and advocate for improving internal communication, especially in the areas of gender, culture or sexuality.
The federation commits to follow the recommendations of this report and emphasizes that some have already been implemented, notably recalling last week’s nomination of Wayne Smith as “technical trainer” alongside Glenn Moore, before the World Cup. Notably, Smith was a member of the All Blacks’ coaching staff during their last two World Cup wins (2011, 2015).
