New Zealand Rugby has secured one of its most explosive young forwards, with Black Ferns loose forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker re-signing through to the end of 2029 — a deal that ties her to the side through a home Lions series and the next Rugby World Cup.
The 24-year-old from Gisborne has quickly become one of the most destructive ball-carriers in the women's game since debuting in 2022, and the new contract keeps her in black for the seasons that matter most. She put pen to paper with an eye firmly on what is coming.
"I'm enjoying my rugby right now and really grateful to lock-in the next three years doing what I love," Olsen-Baker said.
The timing is no accident. The British and Irish Lions women's side will tour New Zealand next year in a landmark series, before a World Cup in Australia later in the cycle — a run of marquee fixtures that any player would want to be part of.
"There's something special building within this group," she said. "To have a Lions Series here at home in New Zealand next year, followed by a World Cup in Australia is exciting."
Olsen-Baker's rise has been rapid. She has racked up 19 Tests, was named New Zealand Rugby's Women's Player of the Year in 2024, claimed the Rugby Players' Association Player of the Year award in 2025, and earned selection in World Rugby's Women's 15s Dream Team of the Year off the back of the World Cup in England. At Super Rugby Aupiki level she has been a mainstay for Matatū.
Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen left no doubt about her value to the squad.
"Kaipo is an explosive, powerful loose forward with an incredible presence on the field and has a genuine ability to change a game," Hansen said.
For a Black Ferns side balancing the defence of its global standing with the development of a new generation, retaining a player still only 24 — and already among the best in her position — is a significant statement. With a home Lions series and an Australian World Cup on the horizon, Olsen-Baker's signature is exactly the kind of long-term certainty New Zealand Rugby was chasing.
