Go The Ferns! Aotearoa Women’s Sports Teams in the Spotlight


With the Black Ferns currently playing in the Rugby World Cup, and the Football Ferns soon to kick off in the 2023 Fifa Women’s Football World Cup, we thought we’d train the spotlight onto our amazing NZ female sports teams that are shining bright and creating sporting history! You’ll also notice a trend with the naming of our national women’s teams – most names incorporate a variation of the silver fern – an emblem that has become synonymous with New Zealand athletes and sports teams.

The Black Ferns – New Zealand women’s rugby team

New Zealand women's national rugby union team - Wikipedia

New Zealand women’s national rugby union team logo

The Black Ferns are New Zealand’s senior women’s rugby team and have a world ranking of #2 with World Cup titles in 1998, 2002 2006, 2010 and 2017; and they will be playing in the Finals of World Cup as I type! The Black Ferns became the first women’s team to ever be named the World Rugby Team of the Year in 2019.

[NOTE: The Black Ferns and All Blacks play Rugby Union, which is a slightly different game to Rugby League.The NZ women’s Rugby League team is called the Kiwi Ferns]

Rugby World Cup 2021 – There’s a heap of firsts at this tournament.

This is the first time the women’s version of the Rugby World Cup will be played in New Zealand, and in the Southern Hemisphere. And it’s the first World Cup tournament to go ahead since the Covid-19 pandemic began (this event was delayed a year, and why it’s still called RWC2021).

It’s also the first time it won’t be called the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Just the Rugby World Cup – the same name as the men’s tournament.

It’s also the first time poi are handed out free to everyone attending the games – part of the Wā Poi (It’s Poi Time) movement to get the crowd twirling poi to support the teams.

The Football Ferns – New Zealand women’s football team

NZ Football - HOME

NZ Football logo

The New Zealand women’s national football team,  the Football Ferns, is governed by New Zealand Football (NZF). The New Zealand national team qualified for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in China in September 2007. This was their first World Cup in 16 years, and the second since their 1975 debut in international competition. Because  New Zealand is co-host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup alongside Australia, the Football Ferns automatically qualify as co-host.

The Silver Ferns – New Zealand women’s netball team

New Zealand national netball team - Wikipedia

New Zealand national netball team logo

The Silver Ferns have won the Netball World Cup five times (in 1967, 1979, 1987, 2003 and 2019), and have won the netball gold medal at the Commonwealth Games twice (in 2006 and 2010).

Netball has been played in New Zealand since 1906. It is the most popular female sport in New Zealand. It was originally called women’s basketball and was played outside on grass courts. Players wore full-length skirts, hats, blouses and shoes. The net was a basket, closed at one end, so the referee had to clamber up and retrieve the ball after each goal! It was not until 1970 that the sport became officially known as netball in New Zealand. Today’s netball is fast-paced, physical and usually played on asphalt or indoor courts.

Even now, it is changing fast, with Fast5 Netball World Series taking place in Christchurch in November 2022. Fast5 is a variation of netball using only five players (regular netball has seven players a side) and features shortened games and goals worth multiple points.

The White Ferns – New Zealand women’s cricket team

New Zealand women's national cricket team - Wikipedia

New Zealand women’s national cricket team logo

The NZ women’s cricket team make its test cricket debut in 1935 against England.  In 1973 the first Women’s Cricket World Cup took place. The White Ferns are one of only three teams (NZ, England and Australia) to have participated in all ten editions of this tournament, winning in 2000 and making it to the finals on four occasions.

In 1992 The national women’s team was named the White Ferns at the same time as the men became the Blackcaps.

The Tall Ferns – New Zealand women’s basketball team

See the source image

New Zealand women’s national basketball team logo

Both national sides (the Tall Ferns – women, and the Tall Blacks – men) made their Olympic debuts in 2000 at Sydney. And both teams won silver medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The Tall Ferns then qualified for their third successive Olympics in 2008 at Beijing, but didn’t qualify for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics (which were held in Tokyo in 2021).

The Black Sticks – New Zealand women’s hockey team

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New Zealand Black Sticks Hockey team logo

Modern hockey emerged in England in the second half of the 19th century. Women played hockey from the 1880s, with a women’s inter-provincial match held in 1899. Hockey was the first team sport played at international level by New Zealand women, who competed against a touring English women’s team in 1914. From the 2000s both the national men’s and women’s teams are known as the Black Sticks.


Get your game-face on and check out these books about some of the world’s amazing women athletes and the sport they play:

Stacey Waaka : world champion rugby player / Riley, David
“Follows Stacey’s journey from Ruatoki to the rugby stadiums of the world. Read about some of the many challenges she’s been through, including a terrifying bus crash, and how she overcame them. Find out how her faith, family, friends, coaches, teachers and culture have guided and powered her to aim high in life”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)
Netball / Gifford, Clive
“Build your netball skills with the Sports Academy series. Looking to take up a new sport? Or just thinking about ways to keep fit and healthy? This book is a great introduction to all the important netball skills you’ll need. Full of skills tips and illustrations showing key techniques, you’ll discover everything- from offence to defence. The series Sports Academy covers rules, equipment and major competitions through specially commissioned, step-by-step illustrations that clearly shows skills and techniques needed for a sport.” (Catalogue)

The ultimate guide to women’s football / Thorpe, Yvonne
“Dip into this fun, fact-packed book to discover the best of women’s football, from the world’s top leagues, players and competitions to awe-inspiring goals, dazzling skills and memorable celebrations. Football is fast becoming the top participation sport for women in the UK, with almost three million active players. With the next Women’s World Cup just around the corner in June 2019, The Ultimate Guide to Women’s Football offers young readers a great way into the game and provides practical advice on how they can start playing the beautiful game themselves. A perfect read for football fans aged 8 and up.” (Catalogue)

She shoots, she scores / Clarke, Catriona
“She Shoots, She Scores! tells the empowering story of how women’s football has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.  Young football fans will discover how the early female players overcame prejudice to set up their own teams, and read the compelling stories of players who beat the odds to become famous around the world” (Catalogue, abridged)

Hockey / Dufresne, Emilie
“From running to rugby, it’s time to get sporty. Pick a side, lace up your trainers and jump in! these informative titles will tell you everything you need to know to get into sports. Know the rules, learn the lingo and get kitted up. Check out your sporting girl heroes in the player profile, and learn what favourite sport is doing to your body. Tackle rugby, swing into tennis or make a splash in swimming — whether you’re a fierce footballer, speedy sprinter or a brilliant basketball player, we want to be on your team! Go girls!” (Catalogue)

The warm sun on my face : the story of women’s cricket in New Zealand / Auger, Trevor
“It is the story of a game played for the sheer love of it, and of the hard work of the dedicated souls who built and sustained women’s cricket, often in the face of challenge and adversity. ” (Catalogue, abridged)

Top basketball tips / Rissman, Rebecca
“Swish! Every basketball player dreams of the perfect shot. Look inside to learn mechanics and tips to take your game to the next level.” (Catalogue)

Rising above. Inspiring women in sports / Zuckerman, Gregory
“Behold the power of women! These are the inspirational real-life stories of female superstar athletes Serena and Venus Williams, Simone Biles, Carli Lloyd, and more — role models all. For sports fans, aspiring athletes and readers of sports biographies. The athletes featured in this book met earth-shaking challenges head on, and through hard work and perseverance, went on to conquer the sports world. This collection of mini biographies, complete with first-hand content drawn from interviews, is a source of inspiration and self-empowerment for kids and sports fans of all ages. ” (Catalogue, abridged)

Women in sports : 50 fearless athletes who played to win / Ignotofsky, Rachel
“Illustrated profiles of fifty pioneering female athletes, from the author of the New York Times bestseller Women in Science. A charmingly illustrated and inspiring book, Women in Sports highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable women athletes–from well-known figures like tennis player Billie Jean King and gymnast Simone Biles, to lesser-known athletes like skateboarding pioneer Patti McGee and Toni Stone, the first woman to play baseball in a men’s professional league. Covering more than forty sports, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about notable women’s teams throughout history, pay and media statistics for female athletes, and muscle anatomy. Women in Sports celebrates the success of the tough, bold, and fearless women who paved the way for the next generation of athletes” (Catalogue)

9 New “action packed” Non Fiction to curb the winter blues.

Hey Kids! Welcome to the latest Junior Non Fiction blog post!

July and winter has finally hit and there will days where you want nothing more than to stay inside and hibernate with a hot cup of cocoa and a library book. (Hmmm, sounds like heaven to me!)

Once again, Wellington City Libraries has new “action packed” non fiction bursting through our shelves for your viewing and reading pleasure for boys and girls of all ages.

There are books where the world of Greek mythology, the world of Greek gods and goddesses and… superheroes collides. Not to mention the odd Greek word here and there; Superheroes are featured that boys and girls can look up to; there are books for girls  in the sporting, dancing  and superhero world, hmmm I think I detect a bit of a girl power theme going on and finally books that will help you find the right word for any given situation.

Enjoy!

image courtesy of syndeticsHow cities work : explore the city inside, outside and underground.

Lonely Planet kids has done it again with “How Cities Work.” This book allows kids the opportunity to explore the city inside, outside and underground, with lots of cool flaps to lift to see inside buildings, not to mention unfold pages to find out what is going on above your head and udder your feet. Overall a fantastic book that gives a full in depth account to city life as you have never seen it before, and already a popular book amongst kids, which is currently hot on the reserve list.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe right word : Roget and his thesaurus.

Lost for words? You can certainly find the right words in this book. “The Right Word” tells the story of Peter Mark Roget, a brilliant man who took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought, who went on the be the creator of Roget’s Thesaurus, one of the most widely used reference books ever published. A biography and a thesaurus all in one, who could ask for more!

DID YOU KNOW: The word “Thesaurus” means “treasure house” in Greek.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Gods and Goddesses of Olympus.

This book briefly recounts the stories of members of the Greek pantheon. Overall a great read and a fantastic introduction to the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsBatman character encyclopaedia.

Brace yourself, Batman and DC Comics fanatics, the latest Batman Character Encyclopaedia has made its way to the shelves at your local library. Discover all the powerful, strange and crazy characters from the world of Batman. Meet your favorite Super Heroes and learn all about the most fearsome super-villains.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsWonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to The Amazon Warrior.

“Keep faith. Trust  to love. Fight with honor. But fight to win.” – Wonder Woman.

This is a motto worth remembering.

Finally a superhero that young girls can look up to! A guide to the world of  demigoddess, Wonder Woman includes seventy-five years of iconic characters, major story arcs, and key issues, along with information on locations, enemies, and allies. This is a must have read for every comic fanatic and a great companion alongside The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus!

Also check the following trailers to Wonder Woman, which has just been released in theatres and Justice League, which won’t be released until sometime in 2018, down below.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe Beginner’s Guide to Netball.

Maria Tuta’ia, New Zealand international netball player takes you on journey to help you become or improve your skills in playing netball and perhaps ensure your career as a future silver fern, heehee. You will learn skills such as how to shoot goals under pressure, master passing accuracy and pull off the perfect dodge.  “Features the basic skills every netballer should be familiar with, no matter what their position. Read about the story of netball as well as Maria’s own journey to becoming an international netball superstar”–Publisher information.

image courtesy of syndetics
The Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories.

This book hold beautiful retellings of six of the world’s greatest ballet stories are accompanied by two story CDs read by Juliet Stevenson that is bound to enrich library collections and inspire young dancers. This book is in a word… GORGEOUS! A must have read for the budding ballerina and dance enthusiast.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsLots : the diversity of life on Earth.

One, two, three …lots!  Find out in this beautiful and brilliant book how all living things – including us – are part of a big, beautiful pattern and depend on each other for survival. With beautiful words from Nicola Davies and exquisite illustrations by Emily Sutton, this groundbreaking book is certain to enchant and inspire children. Overall a fantastic read that that is suitable for young children and serves as an educational resource on biodiversity and conservation.

image courtesy of syndeticsThe ultimate unofficial encyclopedia for Minecrafters : multiplayer mode : exploring hidden games and secret worlds.

Calling all Minecrafters! Looking for a new challenge? Minecraft strikes again! This book presents information on the world of Minecraft, including how and where to play safely online, playing in creative and survival modes, and server plugins for advanced players.

 

5 new children’s non fiction to read in term 3.

Here is your chance to discover a hidden world beneath the surface of things. Whether it is what goes on deep within the bowels of a city, what is really going on inside the human body. Or even what is going on right outside your backyard.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking under the city.

Tall building and bright lights. Honking  and cool water fountains. This is what a city looks like above ground. But what wonders lie beneath? Let’s go below the streets and take a peek.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking under your skin.

Arms, leg and a big smile. Waving hands and dancing feet. This is what a person looks like from the outside. But what wonders lie inside? Let’s go below your skin and take a peek!

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPeeking Underground.

Leafy trees and green grass. Chirping birds and children playing games. This is what the earth looks like above ground.

 

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsEgyptian Mummy: The Embalmer’s Handbook.

Prepared to be dazzled and spellbound the glorious mysteries of ancient Egypt. Read this and discover a civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and discover how they embalmed their dead. Contains beautiful illustrations, a guide to Egyptian coffins, ‘true or false’ quizzes, and a spectacular gatefold image of the River Nile.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsThe beginners guide to netball.

Willing to bring out your inner Silver Fern? This check out this fantastic beginners guide to netball. This book features the basic skills every netballer should be familiar with, no matter what their position. Read about the story of netball as well as Maria’s own journey to becoming an international netball superstar.