Rugby Australia, in partnership with New Zealand Rugby, are delighted to announce an historic NextGen Under 21 women’s fixture featuring Australia and New Zealand to be played in October.
The match is the first national women’s age grade fixture between the two nations and will take place on October 31 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch as part of a double header Test with the Black Ferns and France.
The inaugural match will provide a crucial pathway for the next generation of women’s XVs talent to gain experience and showcase their skill at the representative level.
The inaugural Australia Under 21 side will be coached by Classic Wallaroos trio Iliseva Batibasaga, Shannon Parry and Alapeta Ngauamo.
Wallaroo #87 Batibasaga, who played 26 Tests including two World Cups, will lead the side as Head Coach with a focus on attack.
Former captain Parry, who led the Wallaroos in 19 of 24 Tests played, including at two World Cups, will oversee defence as an assistant coach.
Recently retired Ngauamo, who played four Tests for the Wallaroos, will also assist and look after set piece.
Former Red Roses representative Fran Matthews will take charge of the high performance space as strength and conditioning coach.
General Manager of Women’s Rugby Jilly Collins said: "We are pleased to share the next step in our NextGen program, a fantastic opportunity to play against a New Zealand Under 21 team as part of the Black Ferns and France double header.
"The Australian squad will feature some of our most promising young talent and future stars of the game.
"Crucially, the program also supports the development of our up-and-coming female coaches. Having a coaching group with top-level playing experience will offer invaluable guidance as these players take the next step in their rugby journeys."
Director of Women’s High Performance Tim Walsh said: "The NextGen XVs pathway is integral to the future success of the Wallaroos and not only for our elite players but for our elite coaches as well.
"Exposing our rising talent to more international rugby will make their transition into the Wallaroos program seamless and allow for greater development.
"The vision is to have our best of the best talent playing high-quality matches more often and enabling a continuous opportunity to test and develop skills in preparation for a winning future with the Wallaroos."
The fixture announcement follows the launch of the NextGen XVs program at both under 16 and under 19 levels kicking off in September, with two RA under 19 teams to compete on September 12 and October 3, while the under 16 program will participate in a holistic development camp before playing their own match on October 3.
The NextGen XVs program, including this fixture, has been made possible through the support of the Australian Rugby Foundation with squads for the upcoming fixtures to be announced throughout September.
