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Women's Rugby in Wellington

History & Legacy

Wellington Women’s rugby officially began in 1989. Since then, it has consistently contributed to the legacy of the Black Ferns, featuring iconic players like Neroli Knight, Rebecca Liua’ana, Erin Rush, Izzy Ford, Tia Paasi, Aimee Sutorius, Sanita Levave, Jackie Patea‑Fereti and Ayesha Leti‑I’iga.
 

Representative Team

Wellington Pride
The Wellington Pride is the Premier representative women's team, competing nationally in the Farah Palmer Cup. Past honours include a Premiership win in 2006 and a championship title in 2018.
 

Premier Women’s Club Competition

Trophies & Structure
The senior women's club competition features three trophies:

  • Rebecca Liua’ana Trophy – awarded for First Round

  • Tia Paasi Memorial Trophy – First Division, Second Round

  • Izzy Ford Cup – Second Division, Second Round

  • For historical champions, see the Premier Women – Past Winners page

 

PARTICIPATING CLUBS

Clubs active in the senior women’s competition include:

  • Avalon (est. 1994)
  • Marist St Pats (est. 2008)
  • Northern United (founding club, active since 1990)
  • Oriental Rongotai (est. 1995)
  • Paremata-Plimmerton (founding club, active since 1990)
  • Petone (est. 1993)
  • Pōneke (est. 1991)
  • Wainuiomata (founding club, est. 1990)

Each club has won at least one of the three key trophies.

 

GOVERNANCE & SUPPORT

Women & Girls Rugby is a strategic priority for WRFU, aligned with our commitment to New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) Women & Girls in Rugby System Strategy (2023-2033). To support this, WRFU will develop its own Provincial Union (PU) Action Plan to guide local implementation and drive meaningful outcomes.

Wellington Rugby governs and supports women’s rugby through:

  • A Women & Girls Advisory Group

    • Established in 2025, this group plays a key role in shaping strategic direction and fostering inclusive decision-making within the women and girls’ rugby space