It's been proposed to World Rugby that the postponed Women's World Cup be held in October and November next year.
Black ferns L-R Phillipa Love, Chelsea Alley, Renee Holmes. 2020. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2020 www.photosport.nz
The tournament, originally scheduled for this September and October in New Zealand, was delayed back due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The matches will still be held in Auckland and Whangārei, but a proposal to World Rugby suggests having the tournament in October and November 2022.
The Black Ferns midfielder Chelsea Alley said the later dates will avoid a clash with the Seven's World Cup in Cape Town, which is scheduled for next September.
"At this stage it will be in October and November next year. They're doing the timing of it around other major pinnacle rugby events in the world like the Sevens World Cup and a few other things. It's given us another year of build up time I guess so we just have to look at it positively."
The new dates are yet to be confirmed by World Rugby, and players have said they need them locked in to start making arrangements around family and work commitments, with many holding down full-time jobs.
New Zealand Rugby says an October/November window was proposed to the World Rugby board, but NZR are yet to receive and confirmation from World Rugby.
World Rugby said it wasn't in a position to comment on the Women's World Cup dates at this time.
Dame Julie Christie of the Rugby World Cup organising committee says for that October/November window to be ratified by World Rugby, organisers must first check if the venues, such as Eden Park, where the tournament opener and final are likely to be played, are available on the dates they want.
Alley is confident the October and November window will be set in stone and she said it's important to remove any uncertainty as soon as possible.
"We've got a date in the calendar now and we'll work back from there and make sure we're in the best possible condition we can be."
She said when tournament dates are officially confirmed it would help the players prepare both mentally and physically.
Waikato star Alley will be part of the first women's Super Rugby game in New Zealand, with the Blues and Chiefs women to do battle at Eden Park on May the 1st before the Blues men host the Chiefs in their Super Rugby Aotearoa clash.
The women's match is a one off but Alley, who will line up for the Chiefs, wants to see a fully professional Super Rugby women's competition from next year.
She said it would help the Black Ferns prepare for the defence of their World Cup title, with international rugby remaining uncertain during the Covid pandemic.
"We're so lucky in New Zealand that we do have some of the best players in the world. So, having an internal comp in the leadup to a World Cup isn't the worst thing. Playing against your own teammate sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. It's (having a women's Super Rugby comp in 2022) the best thing for us to do I think at this point.
However Alley revealed the players in the first women's Super Rugby game in Aotearoa won't be paid for the match in May.
"At this point it's just an exhibition match. It will be us putting a stake in the ground and seeing how much the franchises want to invest in us in the future. Hopefully it happens (a fully professional women's Super Rugby tournament) soon."
