Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Ian Smith: Black Ferns failure brings domestic competitions into question
Ian Smith • September 22nd, 2025 1:54 pm
Photo: Photosport
After barrelling Scott Robertson and the All Blacks for the last 10 days due to that Wellington pasting, it's time to readjust the sights.
Canada are amateurs essentially, they're crowd funded to actually participate in the World Cup.
A number of their players do participate in elite competitions in Europe which brings into question exactly - how strong is Super Rugby Aupiki? How developmental is the Farah Palmer Cup?
It doesn't seem to prepare the Black Ferns for the hard-natured physical approach across the board that the northern sides are bringing to the game.
There is a noted physical inferiority and, you'd have to say, a questionable game plan.
Is it beneficial now for sevens players to keep coming and going to 15s rugby and then back to sevens rugby? What does that do to continuity?
Having said that, Jorja Miller may well have made a difference. She is that good.
Does more and more money have to be pumped into the programme? Is that the easy answer?
I guess they'll say yes it is. Let's put more money in, let's get more time together, more tours, more hardening of games against Northern Hemisphere teams. Will that produce a dividend that we need? Or is there a trend developing here that we might not be able to arrest?
One final thought, just on viewing some of what I saw over the weekend - who are they actually playing for?
Listen to Ian Smith on Sport Nation Mornings, Monday to Wednesday 9am-12pm
Mark Watson unleashes on Black Ferns after World Cup exit to Canada | The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
