FPC side ready for final regular season game

Canterbury centurion Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox gets her first start of the season on Sunday, with the Farah Palmer Cup squad heading to Bay of Plenty in search of an unbeaten regular season.

Te Ohaere-Fox, who has provided a real difference off the bench with her experience and skill, will get the opportunity to show what she can do directly from kick off, forming an otherwise unchanged forward pack to the one against Manawatu. 

“Having three members of our front row with the black ferns presents it’s challenges, although being able to call on front rowers with Back Fern experience in Lucy and Steph, as well as a young and dynamic hooker in Atlanta is a demonstration of the depth that the Canterbury women's programme has built over the past few years.” said Forwards Coach Sid Tauamiti. 

Marcelle Parkes is set to wear the captain’s armband once again, while Karla Wright-Akeli comes in to start on the left wing. 

On the bench, University’s Charlotte Allen is in line for her Canterbury debut, with the loosehead prop making the most of her opportunities, moving up from the FPC Development side and working her way into the lineup from the Wider Training Group.  

“Charlotte has been an excellent member of our wider training group and this is just reward for the efforts she has put in on the training field” said Tauamiti. 

The match against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga kicks off at 11:35am on Sunday and will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.