Joining her is Grace Nweke for making post-match interviews entertaining again. The format is usually as tired as the athletes participating. With reflections demanded so close to the action, there’s a tendency to fall back on cliches. After lifting the Taini Jamison Trophy, Nweke took the opportunity to tell us how she really felt. Such honesty is rare in this setting, but Nweke’s one statement did more to move the saga along than all the press releases this season.
All they do is win
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe may have won only bronze at this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, but she added more records to her lengthy stat sheet. Running out of retirement and in seven tries against USA to become the Black Ferns’ top try-scorer. Overtaking the position Vanessa Cootes held for 23 long years. Never satisfied, her try against Japan in August pushed her past Doug Howlett to become New Zealand’s top try-scorer of all time.
Another master of the oval ball who deserves her flowers is Kristina Sue. The Manukura Girls head coach has won at least eight national titles in four years across 15s, 7s and touch rugby. Rather than sit on her laurels, she leveraged their success to kick off Friday Night Under Lights. Hosting 200 girls to give modified versions of rugby union and league a go. Barring scouts, she prioritised participation and fun. With kai, spot prizes, DJ and games wrapped around the action. Codes working together to get girls active in sport is a kaupapa we should all get behind.
Future looks bright
A trio of teenagers took the world by storm this year. Nineteen-year-old Ivana Lauititi made her NRLW debut, going on to be named the competition’s Rookie of the Year. Lauititi also picked up the coveted Tackle of the Year gong, for folding the Broncos’ Emily Bass like washing. With this form it was unsurprising that she got to take her pick of international sides. Both Fetu Samoa and Kiwi Ferns pursued her, with New Zealand winning the honour of her debut. Cricketer Emma McLeod came of age on the world stage. New Zealand’s top scorer in her White Ferns T20 debut. The 18-year-old picked up 44 runs off 46 balls against Sri Lanka, offering a taste of things to come.
Braxton Sorensen-McGee ripped into World Cup contention off the back of a stellar debut season with the Blues. Going on to score back-to-back hat-tricks at her first World Cup, one set on the wing and the other at fullback. She finished the tournament as the top try-scorer on 11. This is just behind Portia Woodman-Wickliffe who set the tournament record of 13 in 2017. At only 18, Sorensen-McGee is just getting started. The sky is the limit.
Not goodbye yet
Rain washed away our hopes at the Cricket World Cup after Sophie Devine did all she could to keep them alive. This final act is reflective of the generational talent Devine has been. Able to deliver victories with both bat and ball. Devine and her fans deserve a less-soggy ending but, thankfully, it’s not the final goodbye. She is weaning us off her slowly, retiring from the one-day format, but making herself available for T20.
