Muir enjoying start to season
AS far as experience at the Otago Spirit goes, you could probably call Greer Muir a veteran.
That may seem an odd way to describe a 24yearold.
With 40 matches to her name, the powerful midfielder is second only to Angie Sisifa from the squad in most games for the team.
Having debuted as a year 13 pupil at South Otago High School in 2011, Muir has seen and done plenty with the Spirit.
She feels the side is good form for its Farah Palmer Cup game against Wellington at Forsyth Barr Stadium today.
‘‘I’ve played for a few years now and this is one of the best starts to a season we’ve had,’’ Muir said.
‘‘Especially after the last couple of years, not having won many games.
‘‘So it’s pretty cool to start with, a close loss and a couple of good wins, so we’re just looking to build from here really.
‘‘I think just think the culture in our team has changed and the girls want to be there for each other.
‘‘The whole environment’s different, with two new coaches in there this year and we just want to work hard and play some good rugby for the girls and everyone else in Otago. So it’s been really cool.’’
Muir lives in Balclutha, where she grew up, having moved back there last year after completing her applied science degree at the Otago Polytechnic Sports Institute.
She travels a lot both with her sport and her job as a sports activator in schools in South and West Otago.
She has strong roots in the South but there are several newcomers in the team and she said a preseason challenge had been key to helping understand the Spirit’s identity.
‘‘At the start of the year we all had a challenge to go and talk to a past player from the Spirit.
‘‘So we all got to talk to someone who had previously played for Otago and it was cool to hear the stories and insights into what used to go on.
‘‘To see that Farah Palmer used to play for Otago and now we’re playing for the Farah Palmer Cup sort of thing.’’
Muir plays her club rugby for Pirates and has also been in the Black Ferns’ wider squad for the past three years.
Cracking that full national team was a goal and one she thought she could achieve after playing in a trial match at a training camp earlier this year.
Wellington is third on the premiership table.
‘‘We’re not the biggest team in the world, but we know that they’re going to be bigger, especially in our forward pack where we’re quite small.
‘‘But we’ll just try to move the ball a bit more.’’