1 Mar 2017

Black Ferns buildup to Rugby World Cup

5:20 pm on 1 March 2017

One of the matches will be a curtain raiser to a match on the British and Irish Lions tour.

The women's Rugby World Cup is being held in Ireland in August with New Zealand to host England, Canada and Australia in a four-nations series in June.

Black Ferns perform the haka

Black Ferns perform the haka Photo: Photosport

The Black Ferns' final match of the series will be against world champions England as a curtain raiser to the Lions' match against the Maori All Blacks in Rotorua on June 17th.

"Women's rugby is growing and growing and so is our fan base," Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore said in a statement.

"England is currently ranked second, Canada third and Australia sixth so we are expecting a tough series. Every team is out to prove themselves.

"The World Cup is our focus and everything we do from now is about getting us in the best possible position for Dublin and Belfast."

The Black Ferns' first match of the series, against 2014 runners-up Canada, will also act as a curtain-raiser to the Super Rugby clash between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs on June 9th.

-Reuters