Women's rugby expertise to help world champion cricketers

Former New Zealand Black Fern Julie Reynolds has changed the colour of her apparel and will manage the TelstraClear White Ferns on their tour of Europe starting next month.

Reynolds, a Canterbury loose forward in the world dominating Black Ferns rugby side from 1992-95, played for the Canterbury women's rugby team from 1992-98 with the last three years as captain.

More recently she has been the manager of the University Rugby Club, a position she held since 1997.

Once ending her playing career she took up coaching and on her list of credits is her work as assistant coach of the Canterbury women's rugby team and coach of the Canterbury secondary schools' rugby championship winners last year, Rangi Ruru Girls' High School.

New Zealand Cricket's operations manager John Reid said: "Julie has experience as a sportswoman at the highest level and an understanding of the sort of team environment required to be successful at this level.

"She also has excellent organisational skills which are a key element to a management position of this nature."

New Zealand leave for their tour of the Netherlands, Ireland and England on June 21.