black ferns: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

The All Blacks is the name of the New Zealand men's national rugby union team. The Black Ferns is the name of the New Zealand women's national rugby union team.

The name combines the team's black jersey, a colour strongly associated with New Zealand sport, with the silver fern (cyathea dealbata), a national symbol. The women's team uses 'Ferns' to distinguish it from the men's 'All Blacks' while maintaining the iconic fern motif.

It can be treated as either. When referring to the team as a single entity, use a singular verb (e.g., 'The Black Ferns is a successful team'). When referring to the players, use a plural verb (e.g., 'The Black Ferns are training today'). In practice, plural verb agreement is more common.

The name was formally adopted in the 1990s, with its usage becoming standardised as women's rugby gained more prominence. The team's first official test match under this moniker was in 1995.

The official name for the New Zealand women's national rugby union team.

Black ferns is usually formal, sporting in register.

Black ferns: in British English it is pronounced /blæk fɜːnz/, and in American English it is pronounced /blæk fɝːnz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.