Black Ferns players will receive a bonus of $25,000 for winning the Rugby World Cup, NZ Rugby has confirmed.
The sport's national governing body said a bonus pool of almost $1m had been created courtesy of contributions from key partners Sky, Adidas and ASB Bank, allowing each member of the squad to be rewarded.
The revelation earlier in the tournament that English players were in line for a $30,000 bonus for bringing home the Cup, while no such clause existed for the Black Ferns, became a hot topic.
But NZ Rugby conceded their "historic and special performance" warranted additional financial compensation.
"While bonuses were not built into Black Ferns contracts, NZR considers that they are appropriate given the scale of the Black Ferns’ RWC campaign," said chief executive Mark Robinson.
"Accordingly, as we have done previously in respect of All Blacks RWC bonus payments, we have worked with commercial partners to create a pool that rewards the players for their historic and special performance."
According to flanker Sarah Hirini, the team were told by NZ Rugby shortly after their 34-31 triumph over England in the final at Eden Park that a bonus was forthcoming.
"We've definitely been told that something is in the pipeline, which is exciting for us," Hirini told AM.
"We're just waiting to see what comes together and as soon as they know something will happen we'll get told as a group, which is pretty exciting for us as a team.
"We were told not too long after we had won. There's definitely something going on so we're just waiting to see what it is."
The Black Ferns went unbeaten through the tournament, surviving a heart-stopping semi-final against France and an equally dramatic final against England to win their second staright World Cup.
Their displays have captivated the country and led to increased calls for pay partity with their male counterparts, with coach Wayne Smith adding his voice to that growing chorus.
The win bonus still pales in comparison to the $150,000 on offer for the All Blacks players at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
