Warriors Women Director of Rugby Jo Yapp has been named Head Coach of Barbarians Women for their meeting with Wales in a Principality Stadium double header on Saturday November 30.
The former England captain will be joined on the coaching team by Wales’ Rachel Taylor, who has captained both Wales and Barbarians women’s sides.
“I’m really excited to be joining the Barbarians for our match against Wales at the end of November, and thrilled to be announcing the first of many great players who will join the squad,” Yapp said.
Three Black Ferns have been announced in the Barbarians squad: loose forward Charmaine McMenamin and lock Eloise Blackwell, who were both part of the 2017 Rugby World Cup winning side, are joined by exciting utility back Ruahei Demant.
“The Barbarians is founded in players from across the world uniting to play sensational rugby and I’m looking forward to announcing more of our squad as we approach match week,” Yapp said. “Announcing Charmaine, Eloise and Ruahei is a very exciting start.”
The trio, all part of the 2019 Women’s Rugby Super Series winning team, are set to light up the stadium when the invitational side face Wales at the conclusion of the home side’s autumn internationals series.
Demant, whose sister Kiritapu is also a Black Fern, has won three Player of the Year awards for Auckland Storm and College Rifles, and was also part of the Super Series-winning Black Ferns team in 2019. She will join compatriots and 2017 Rugby World Cup winners McMenamin and Blackwell ahead of the Cardiff fixture.
At Auckland Storm, McMenamin won the Farah Palmer Cup in five consecutive years 2011-2015 in addition to her Rugby World Cup win in 2017. For Eden Hawks captain Blackwell, 2017 was her second World Cup appearance, using the experience from the 2014 Tournament to help steer the Black Ferns to victory in 2017.
The historic match against Wales is a first for the Barbarians women’s side, and is only the second-ever double header after the men’s and women’s teams faced England in June.