Black Ferns to celebrate 150 Tests: 15 historic facts
When the Black Ferns play France in the second WXV Global Series Test of the southern leg in Whangarei, it will be their 150th Test match. It’s taken 35 years to reach this milestone. With six Women's Rugby World Cup titles and 123 Test wins, they are one of the most successful women’s sports teams ever.
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1. Black Ferns first Test was a 24-8 win over Wales in 1991
The Black Ferns played their first official Test match against Canada at Memorial Ground, Glamorgan, Wales on April 6, 1991, their opening match of the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup.
2. Black Ferns Rugby World Cup record
The Black Ferns have played 44 Women's Rugby World Cup Tests and won 41 of them. They have scored 2057 points and conceded 421.
3. Black Ferns World Cup-winning coaches
The Black Ferns have had five Women's Rugby World Cup-winning head coaches. Darryl Suasua won twice, in 1998 when they defeated USA 44-12 in the Final, and 2002 when they claimed a 19-9 Final victory over England, coaching 23 Tests for 22 wins. The other World Cup-winning coaches are Jed Rowlands in 2006 (15-0), Brian Evans in 2010 (17-5), Glenn Moore in 2017 (26-7), and Wayne Smith in 2022 (12-0).
4. The first New Zealand brother and sister to play Test footy: Annaleah and Xavier Rush
Annaleah and Xavier Rush were the first brother and sister to play Test matches on the same day at the same ground. On August 29, 1998, at Sydney Football Stadium, Annaleah helped the Black Ferns beat Australia 27-3, while Xavier played No. 8 for the All Blacks in their 14-19 loss to the Wallabies. Annaleah is also cousins of fellow Black Fern Erin Rush and All Black and sevens star Eric Rush.
5. Kendra Cocksedge is the Black Ferns most-capped player
Kendra Cocksedge played the most Tests for the Black Ferns with 68 caps. She also had the most wins, with 54, and scored the most points, with 388.
6. Anna Richards, 49 Tests and a World Cup final at 45
Anna Richards played 49 Tests for the Black Ferns between 1991 and 2010. She won 47 of those games and started in the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup final win over England at age 45.
7. Black Ferns v Australia
The Black Ferns have won all 31 of their Tests against Australia, their most wins against any team. They have also beaten England and Canada 19 times each.
8. Black Ferns unbeaten at Eden Park
The Black Ferns have won all 11 of their Tests at Eden Park dating back to 2003, while the All Blacks have remained unbeaten at the famous Auckland venue since 1994.
9. Black Ferns 100th Test win
When the Black Ferns beat Canada 52-21 in Ottawa in 2023, they reached 100 Test wins in just 117 matches, the fewest required by any Tier One country. England had reached the milestone in 119 Tests in 2006.
10. Black Ferns longest winning streak
The Black Ferns’ longest winning streak is 24 matches, from 2002 to 2009. If they had played more Tests, they might have matched England’s longest unbeaten runs of 30 (2019-2022) and 41 (2023-2026). The Black Ferns also won 20 Tests in a row from 1994 to 2001 and 16 straight between 2022 and 2023.
11. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Black Ferns record try-scorer
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe holds the Black Ferns’ record for most tries, with 50 in 34 Tests. She scored eight tries in one Test against Hong Kong at the 2017 Rugby World Cup, and seven each against Japan in 2022 and the USA in 2025. Her 22 tries at the Women's Rugby World Cup is a record for any player, male or female.
12. Black Ferns lock Monalisa Codling perfect win record
Lock Monalisa Codling won all 30 Test matches she played for the Black Ferns. She also won all 56 games she played for Auckland. Melissa Ruscoe had a perfect 22-0 record in Tests.
13. Vanessa Coots record nine tries in a single Black Ferns Test
The record for most tries by a single player in a Black Ferns Test is nine, set by Vanessa Coots in a 109-0 win over France in 1996. She scored 43 tries in 16 Tests, including five in the 44-12 win over the USA in the 1998 Rugby World Cup final in Amsterdam, which was the Black Ferns’ first World Cup win.
14. Ruahei Demant holds the record for most Tests wins as captain
World Rugby Hall of Fame hooker Dame Farah Palmer had 29 wins in 30 Tests as Black Ferns captain. Fiao’o Fa'amausili had 28 wins in 35 Tests. Ruahei Demant has the most wins as captain with 32 wins in 40 Tests, while Melissa Ruscoe holds the highest percentage win rate, winning all eight Tests she captained.
15. Black Ferns first white jersey Test
The Black Ferns first Test in a white jersey was at the 1998 Women's Rugby World Cup when they beat Scotland 76-0.
