Black Ferns assistant coach Mike Delany has stepped down following a season of mixed results, citing personal and professional reasons ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.
Delany, who led the team to four wins out of eight tests in 2024, highlighted the challenges of balancing family commitments with the increasing demands of international rugby.
His decision follows a season marked by victories over the USA, Australia, and France but losses to England (twice), Ireland, and Canada.
Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting praised Delany’s significant contributions over the past two years, acknowledging the pressures of extensive travel and the shift to professionalism in women’s rugby.
The women’s version of the Rugby World Cup is set to begin on August 22, 2025.
