Renegades halfback Kendra Cocksedge, front left, couldn't find a way through Vikings forwards during the Black Ferns rugby trial at the Sport and Rugby Institute in Palmerston North on Friday.

The Black Ferns' World Cup campaign has just got serious.

With the world cup looming in August, preparations went up a gear this week, as the Black Ferns held a trial match at the Sport and Rugby Institute in Palmerston North on Friday, where coach Glenn Moore got to look at players in contention for the three-test June series and the world cup.

The Vikings team won the trial 15-5 over the Renegades in wet and slippery conditions, but the result was never really relevant.

Moore is naming a squad on Saturday for the June series, but everything is building towards the world cup in Ireland and everyone at the trial was keen to impress.

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"There's a lot of motivation," Moore said after the trial. "There was a real edge here [on Friday] morning you could feel it; there was a level of excitment building up.

"We've got a few players that haven't played [on Friday] that have been injured. Carla Hohepa and Pip Love and that were just coming back. They played half a game of club rugby.

"So there is just a few wee concerns. Linda Itunu is pretty big in our picture as well she's got a broken finger. We've got a few hard calls to make."

The squad for the June series will have a couple of extra players, but they will select 28 in July for the world cup.

Because the Black Ferns only finished fifth at the 2014 tournament, where a 17-14 loss to Ireland in pool play meant New Zealand missed out on playing for the top prize, the players are keen to put things right.

Next month the Black Ferns will play Canada in Wellington, Australia in Christchurch and England in Rotorua.

"It's exciting," Moore said. "I heard the players talking [on Thursday] about how they're excited to play at home too because up until last year most of the test matches they've played in recent times have all been away.

"To get those ones at home last year, there was a lot of motivation around about that and a level of excitment too. This time we get down to the South Island and get to play Aussie in Christchurch."

With so much rain on Friday morning, ball handling during the trial game was poor and the backs rarely saw the ball.

Despite that Moore said there were a couple of players who stood out.

"It wasn't champagne. It was always going to be a bit difficult with the wind and the amount of water on the ground.

"It was a good hit out. There was some good physicality in there. It never quite raised to the standard we'd wanted or where we were able to use the ball like we wanted."

Moore will have a couple of tough selection decisions to make because he is likely to be without Chelsea Alley or flanker Kiritapu Demant, who picked up injuries in the trial.

Demant may have a broken collarbone and Alley a possible broken ankle.

Fullback Selica Winiata has a broken nose and didn't trial, but should only be out for a couple of weeks.

Black Ferns captain Sarah Goss was strong at openside flanker for the Vikings team, getting through a lot of work, while halfback Kristina Sue looked good, as did first five-eighth Hazel Tubic and wing Renee Wickliffe, who got stuck in.

Renegades centre Stacey Waaka impressed, breaking the line a couple of times and getting across the advantage line even with back-foot ball.

Vikings 15 (Honey Hireme, Charmaine Smith, Crystal Mayes, tries) Renegades 5 (Stacey Waaka try). HT: 5-0.