Black Ferns assistant coach resigns after mixed season

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Black Ferns assistant coach Mike Delany has resigned after a mixed season of results with the side.

In a statement, Delany said he believed it was the right decision "for himself and the team to make the change ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup in England."

The Black Ferns played eight tests this year winning, winning only four of them.

They had wins over the USA, Australia and France but lost to England twice, along with Ireland and Canada.

"The 2024 season was challenging for the group with mixed performances on the field, but also for myself personally juggling family. A world cup year needs total commitment to give the team the best chance to defend their title, with that in mind, I've made a pretty tough call to step aside," Delany said.

Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting acknowledged Delany's contribution to the team.

"Mike's a quality coach and person and the passion and care he's brought to the environment over the past two seasons has been significant. He has a breadth of knowledge and his honesty and input to the group will be valuable as we look toward 2025.

Bunting said the amount of time the team spent travelling had increased significantly.

"We went from 84 days in our first year to 121 days and it is quite a big commitment and there has been some challenges around that and moving forward into next year, World Cup year, it's going to be quite intense and a lot of time away from home. So what's best for the team and probably for him personally also, he made the decision to step away."

He said the amount of travel was a challenge for coaches and players alike.

"I'm used to it because I was with the Sevens for about 10-11 years and it is a massive strain especially on the family, when you've got young ones.

"It takes a bit of getting used to and with the transformation into professionalism, it's making sure that we've got some really good wellbeing plans behind us."

The women's Rugby World Cup starts on 22 August 2025.

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