Otago Spirit captain Tegan Hollows said Super Rugby Aupiki was a positive move forward for the game.
The four-team competition was confirmed by New Zealand Rugby yesterday.
It will feature women’s teams from the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes, as well as a South Island team.
The competition will run for four weeks, beginning on March 5 and concluding with a final on March 26, and players will be paid.
‘‘I think it’s great,’’ Hollows said.
‘‘I think it’s going to be really good for women, especially because there’s money involved.
‘‘It’ll be nice to get a bit more money towards women’s rugby. It’s exciting.’’
Hollows, now in her fourth year leading the Spirit, said it might spark some extra interest in girls to see rugby as an option for a sport to play.
She also hoped several players from the Spirit squad would be among those the South Island franchise — which is yet to be given a name — would look to contract.
That team would be based in Christchurch and coached by Blair Baxter, who guides Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Teams could contract 28 players and would announce their squads next month.
Hollows said while it was great, it would be good to have a second South Island team in the future, whether that was the Highlanders or another franchise.
‘‘I’d say coming from nothing to this is a really good starting point,’’ she said of the four-team competition.
‘‘It would be cool to see more than one South Island team in the future, not just a team based out of Canterbury, but it’s definitely a good starting point.
‘‘The Highlanders would be ideal. But having one is quite hard with Otago, Canterbury and Tasman all from the South Island fighting over one team.
‘‘It would be good to have one more, at least.’’
Aupiki, which translates to English as ‘‘to ascend’’, reflects the stepping stone nature of the competition for players on their way to the Black Ferns.
The teams will be coached by Allan Bunting (Chiefs), Wesley Clarke (Hurricanes), Willie Walker (Blues) and Baxter.
New Zealand Rugby head of women’s rugby Cate Sexton said work on bringing together Super Rugby Aupiki continued.
‘‘We saw a glimpse of how exciting this competition will be with the match between the Blues and Chiefs earlier this year,’’ Sexton said.
‘‘It also reaffirmed the need for this level of competition. It will be a great opportunity for developing players.
‘‘Next year is absolutely huge for women’s rugby and this competition will be the perfect showcase to kick things off and get the rugby public engaged in women’s rugby.’’
