The Blues and Chiefs will stage the first-ever women's match between the two Super Rugby franchises.
Chelsea Alley playing for Waikato. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga 2020 / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd
The game will be played as a double header before the Blues men host the Chiefs in their Super Rugby Aotearoa clash at Eden Park on May the 1st.
The match is a one off but both franchises say they're committed to developing a Super Women's team and programme in the future.
The Blues chief executive Andrew Hore said he's happy to see to match become a reality, "We are incredibly excited about this match. It is something both clubs have spoken about for some time now. We are really keen to develop a women's programme for the future. We see this as a huge opportunity to kick-start that dream."
The Chiefs chief executive Michael Collins believes this is the first step towards a full women's Super Rugby competition, "Women's rugby in New Zealand is exceptionally strong and growing exponentially. We see Super Women's Rugby as the next step and felt we should come together to provide this opportunity for all the females playing the game within our region."
The Blues Women assistant coach and IRB Hall of Famer, Anna Richards said: "This is super-exciting. It is the way forward and it is great to see the CEOs from the Blues and the Chiefs be so supportive and committed in pushing this game.
"Our game has progressed significantly for women in the last four years since that great World Cup in 2017. The girls are now contracted, and this is the next step forward. It is a natural progression and the women's game is ready for it," said Richards, New Zealand's most capped Silver Fern who played in four Rugby World Cups.
The Blues and Black Fern captain Eloise Blackwell will be pleased with the New Zealand team needing game time before next year's defence of their World Cup title in New Zealand.
"It is an exciting time for women's rugby with New Zealand hosting the Rugby World Cup and as a potential pathway towards that level, to have a game between the two Super teams with quite a number of the Black Ferns players is exciting," Blackwell said.
"Of course I am a Blues fan so to be able to be part of the first Blues women's team is fantastic and I hope this is just the start towards a bigger future for women in the game."
Chiefs Women's player and current Black Fern Chelsea Alley said: "The Chiefs have been my favourite rugby team since I was a kid. There's so much mana and pride in the Chiefs jersey, so to be able to pull one on and represent the franchise as part of the first ever Chiefs women's team is so special and I'm buzzing about it!"
Chiefs Women's assistant coach, former 2014 England Rugby World cup winner La Toya Mason said: "These are the moments in life that you think what an amazing opportunity for me, but the bigger picture is, this is going to change women's rugby forever and the players have such a great opportunity ahead of them."
"It adds a whole new dynamic to what New Zealand Rugby Union can offer up and coming kiwi women in the pro rugby scene. It also gives the young girls out there playing rugby more role models to see and more rugby opportunities to aspire to, said Mason the 70 capped England international who played in three Rugby World Cups and eight Six Nations campaigns.
Squads will be announced at a later date.
