Posted in General OHS Girls 1st XV Inspired by Black Ferns

Date: 01 April 2021

 The OHS Girls 1st XV Rugby team went to meet Black Ferns players last week and came away feeling both inspired and grateful for the opportunity.

They began by taking a 45 minute tour of the building that houses the All Blacks and Black Ferns, where they learnt what it takes to make and shape an All Black. Rugby has long been seen as the national sport of New Zealand and its players are often seen as heros. The girls were able to follow the history of the game by viewing a large format film playing on the walls of the building. Students could imagine themselves as Black Ferns as they followed in the footsteps of players as they moved from the changing rooms and formed two lines to emerge from the tunnel and take to the field. “It was empowering for women,”commented Jatima Uluave an OHS 1st XV player, “they showed a pathway for women to make a career in sport and talked to us about balancing Rugby and learning.”

The Black Ferns spoke to the students about team building, the challenges and disappointments they face and how they manage these. They talked of how incredible it felt to pull on that Black Fern jersey and represent your country. The girls came away inspired by this amazing opportunity.

Grateful thanks to Mr Chad Coombes for making this trip possible and to Ms Bex Muipu their wonderful manager who accompanied them on the trip.