Overview
- New Zealand Rugby confirmed Hansen as the Black Ferns’ 13th head coach, succeeding Allan Bunting and becoming only the second woman to hold the role.
- Assistant coaches Tony Christie and Riki Flutey were named, with the wider coaching and management group to be announced in the new year.
- The Black Ferns are scheduled for 11 Test matches in 2026 before hosting the first women’s British & Irish Lions series in 2027.
- Hansen’s résumé includes serving as a Black Ferns assistant in the 2022 World Cup triumph, leading the Black Ferns XV in 2024, and senior roles with Matatū and Canterbury.
- She outlined priorities to strengthen player and coach pathways and to make the team more multi-dimensional, operating alongside Bunting’s Director of Rugby role in a refined leadership structure.