World Cup a ‘moment of becoming’ for women’s rugby – and for New Zealand

Portia Woodman celebrates a try with Black Ferns teammates Stacey Fluhler and Ruby Tui during their 95-12 thumping of Japan in Auckland last month. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

On Friday, the eve of New Zealand’s first home Women’s Rugby World Cup, the last thousand tickets were evaporating. Bars around Eden Park began checking their drink stocks. Fans tried on their black-striped jerseys – the team’s first line of official apparel, finally developed last year.

“The girls have been talking, walking down the streets, and people have been saying ‘there’s the Black Ferns’,” says Kendra Cocksedge, the team’s most-capped player. “I’m getting messages from people I went to primary school with … they’re sending photos with the jersey.”