Whitney Hansen Appointed Matatū Head of Rugby

Matatū have taken another step in bolstering the wahine game in Te Waka o Aoraki, our South Island. 

The Super Rugby Aupiki franchise today confirmed Whitney Hansen has accepted a role as Head of Rugby, working across the Canterbury Academy and the Black Ferns Hub to build high performance pathways for female players across the south. This role is part of a joint initiative with Matatū and Canterbury Rugby to build women’s high-performance pathways across the region. 

Sarah Munro, Matatū General Manager, said the role was created as an “investment in the long-term growth of the women’s performance pathway in both the Matatū and Canterbury regions”. 

“We’re excited about the potential for growth in women’s rugby, both in participation and high performance, and with Whitney in this role we intend to make strides in this space,” Munro said. 

Hansen’s ability as a leader in women’s rugby is clear, having guided teams to titles in the Farah Palmer Cup, Super Rugby Aupiki, and the Rugby World Cup – all in the past 12 months. 

“Culture is huge for us at Matatū, it’s something we really focused on in 2023, and Whitney was a big part of that,” Munro said. 

“Whitney clearly demonstrates care and technical expertise, she is a strong guiding voice for players and her teaching background means she’s skilled in both coaching and developing people, as well as implementing great systems and processes.” 

Hansen said she was committed to progressing the game for Matatū and Canterbury and saw the role as a chance to have a big impact. 

“I’m excited to be coming back home into a full-time role, and investing in the region through this opportunity,” Hansen said.  

“It’s awesome to see Matatū and Canterbury Rugby becoming nation leaders in this space. It shows a lot of foresight to create real depth in our game and setting us up for success.” 

Hansen said a big motivation for her to accept the role was personal development. 

“This is a great opportunity for me to lead a programme, to develop myself as a leader and to become a better coach overall.” 

Munro said she was looking forward to the potential for Super Rugby Aupiki to expand in the future. 

A second full-time role has also been developed and will be advertised by Canterbury Rugby shortly, this will involve coaching across Canterbury Academy, FPC and Black Ferns hub.