Kiwi Ferns Open Campaign With Big Victory Over France

Kiwi Ferns Open Campaign With Big Victory Over France

Dewsbury, UK, July 5, 2013 – The Kiwi Ferns have kicked their World Cup campaign off with an 88-0 win over France this morning (NZ time, July 6) in Dewsbury, UK.

New Zealand’s world champion women’s rugby league team had six players on debut and the youngest of them, Amber Hall, really impressed. Amber, who is not long out of Auckland Girls’ Grammar School, is a front rower who has been described by her coach Lynley Tierney-Mani as a mix of Ben Matulino and Johnathan Thurston.

“When she had the ball, Amber could pull in up to seven French tacklers at a time,” says Lynley, “but if things got too busy she could also hit her outsides with perfect cut-out passes.”

One player to benefit from the quality service Amber and the forwards provided was Honey Hireme. The Kiwi Ferns captain, who is affectionately known as ‘Honey Bill’ due to her Sonny Bill Williams-like skillset, scored five tries in the centres. Hireme was the only player not to travel to the UK with her teammates, as she was in Moscow winning the rugby union 7s World Cup title with the Black Ferns.

Kahurangi Peters was another on debut to catch the eye. “She was running some unbelievable lines,” says Lynley. Kahurangi’s big sister Rona Peters was named the players’ player of the day.

Among the high-profile faces in the crowd at Dewsbury were Sir Owen Glenn, who has been such a generous sponsor of the team through the Vodafone Warriors, along with the professional players Rangi Chase, from Castleford, and Ali Lauitiiti, from Wakefield. The Kiwi Ferns have been invited to watch Castleford play St Helens on Sunday.

The Kiwi Ferns stayed on at the ground in Dewsbury to watch the Australian and English women in their pool match. The Australians won that game 14-6.

The Kiwi Ferns will face England next, starting at 7am (NZ-time) on Tuesday.

The women’s World Cup final is on July 14 at Headingley, Leeds.

Kiwi Ferns v France

4pm, July 5 (UK time)

Tetley's Stadium, Dewsbury

Kiwi Ferns 88 – France 0

Kiwi Ferns tries: Honey Hireme 5, Karley Te Kawa 3, Sarina Fiso 2, Lisa Campbell 1, Amber Hall 1, Kathleen Keremete 1, Nora Maaka 1, Kelly Maipi 1, Laura Mariu 1, Kahurangi Peters 1. Conversions: Laura Mariu 7, Lisa Campbell 3. Total: 17 tries, 10 conversions.

The Kiwi Ferns v France were:

1. Sarina Fiso, 2. Tasha Tapu, 3. Honey Hireme (captain), 4. Brenda Collins, 5. Karley Te Kawa, 6. Nora Maaka, 7. Rona Peters, 8. Kelly Maipi, 9. Sharnita Woodman, 10. Ana Pereira, 11. Kathleen Keremete, 12. Lisa Campbell, 13. Akenese Pereira, 14. Kahurangi Peters, 15. Simone Panapa, 16. Laura Mariu, 17. Amber Hall, 18. Geneva Webber

KIWI FERNS WORLD CUP DRAW (UK times shown)

8pm Monday, July 8 – BigFella’s Stadium, Featherstone
New Zealand v England

6pm Thursday, July 11– LoveRugbyLeague.com Stadium, Batley
New Zealand v Australia

6pm Saturday, July 13 – South Leeds Stadium, Leeds
3rd v 4th play-off

1.45pm Sunday, July 14 – Headingley Carnegie Stadium, Leeds
World Cup Final

WOMEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP FINALS:

2000 Kiwi Ferns 26, Great Britain 4
2003 Kiwi Ferns 58, New Zealand Maori 0
2008 Kiwi Ferns 34, Australia 0

ends

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