Rain or shine, the Kiwi Ferns train hard. They have a new captain and a good mix of experience and youth.
After an impressive year beating the Jillaroos in Four Nations tournament and the NRL Nines, the Kiwi Ferns are quietly confident. Second Row Hilda Peters says she's not worried about the Jillaroos, the main thing for us is to focus on ourselves and to complete our game plan on the field. New captain Laura Mariu also has faith in her team saying, despite the limited time together to prepare, the energy in the team is great and she's confident her team will do well.
With 15 years and four World Cups under her belt, veteran Laura Mariu is relishing her opportunity to lead the side. "It's an honour, it always is playing for your country but to lead the team will be something special".
Friday night's curtain raiser to the Anzac Test will be another opportunity for the Kiwi Ferns to showcase their talent on the international stage alongside their male counterparts. Hilda says some people still think that league is game solely for the guys but the Kiwi Ferns are now getting recognised as equals.
The Kiwi Ferns fly out tomorrow afternoon and spend the rest of the week preparing in Brisbane.