A first for women's rugby here: the New Zealand Under-21 side to play Australia

New Zealand Rugby has never picked a national women's Under-21 team before. On Saturday 31 October in Christchurch, the first one plays Australia NextGen, as the curtain-raiser to the Black Ferns' third Test against France at One NZ Stadium.

A first for the pathway

The 24-player squad, named on 7 October, is the first national women's age-grade side NZR has assembled, and the fixture is the first national women's age-grade game between the two countries. Nineteen of the squad were contracted in Super Rugby Aupiki this year, eight provincial unions are represented, and six of the players have already played for the Black Ferns XV. Former All Black Hayden Triggs is the head coach, with Emma Jensen and Canterbury's Farah Palmer Cup-winning coach Solomona Paraki as his assistants.

"We've seen some great rugby in the Farah Palmer Cup," said Triggs, and Kendra Cocksedge, NZR's women's high-performance pathways manager and a World Cup winner herself, spoke of the honour of being the first national age-grade women's players to be selected.

The squad

Props: Amber Mundell (Waikato), Faythe Finau (Wellington), Jaden Lauvale (Auckland), Keiana Roffey (Wellington), Wikitoria Rogers (Canterbury). Hookers: Chrissy-Jon Leaoasavaii (Auckland), Danny-Elle Fesolai (Auckland). Locks: Emily Dale (Otago), Hannah Taimalelagi (Canterbury), Sophie Kerr (Canterbury). Loose forwards: Anahera Hamahona (Manawatū), Mele Latu'ila (Auckland), Taufa Bason (Auckland), Zara Feaunati (Auckland). Halfbacks: Emacyn Ieremia (Auckland), Malina Leatherby-Miller (Manawatū). First five-eighth: Ella Henderson (North Harbour). Midfield: Naomi Sopoaga (Otago), Rosie Moffitt (Canterbury). Outside backs: Keira Su'a-Smith (Wellington), Binky Muamua (Canterbury), Poppy Baxter (Canterbury), Presayus Singh (Auckland), Sariyah Paitai (Counties Manukau).

The six with Black Ferns XV experience are Taufa Bason, Keira Su'a-Smith, Amber Mundell, Danny-Elle Fesolai, Binky Muamua and Presayus Singh. Muamua scored twice, one an intercept from the length of the field, in Canterbury's 50-24 win in the Farah Palmer Cup final earlier this month, and Sariyah Paitai has just made her Black Ferns Sevens debut in Sydney.

Some of the country's best young players are missing because they are already a level up: Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a, Maia Davis, Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Amarante Sititi are with the Black Ferns or the Black Ferns Sevens, and Kokako Raki is injured.

The Farah Palmer Cup, a fortnight on

The squad leans heavily on the provinces that dominated this year's competition. Canterbury beat Auckland Storm 50-24 on 11 October for their sixth Farah Palmer Cup title in ten years, and the first trophy lifted under One NZ Stadium's new roof, and Wellington Pride won the Championship final 39-15 against Northland Kauri. Eight of the Under-21 squad are from Auckland and six from Canterbury.

The game is on Saturday 31 October in Christchurch, before the Black Ferns v France Test at 7.10pm, live on Sky Sport.