Game has advanced since Brazier was at school
WOMEN’S rugby has come a long way since Kelly Brazier was the only girl in the Balmacewen Intermediate School team.
The Black Ferns Sevens player returned to the school yesterday with her World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medals in hand.
She was joined by teammates Tenika Willison and Alena Saili and spoke about her Black Ferns Sevens experience.
It was a welcome return for the 28yearold, who was back in Dunedin for just the third time since moving to the Bay of Plenty six years ago.
‘‘We were driving past and I said ‘I definitely don’t miss running up that hill out there’,’’ she said of being back at Balmacewen.
‘‘But I definitely remember being out on those courts playing all types of games and at lunch times running around playing footy with the boys, so definitely good memories of this school.’’
The game has come a long way since, the numbers and quality of the women’s game increasing every year.
While that is obvious at the top level, Brazier said it was just as big at the grass roots.
‘‘Obviously, I’m living up in the Bay of Plenty now and I see there’s girls grades, like under10 girls teams.
‘‘There’s New Zealand sevens under16 and under18 girls teams.
‘‘When I was at school, I was the only girl here playing.
‘‘So it’s cool to see there’s clubs with allgirls teams and with the exposure of both the Black Ferns and Black Ferns Sevens, there’s so many pathways for these young girls now.
‘‘It’s pretty exciting that you can now make a living from it, too.’’
The successes on the field have been sweeter after a period in which Australia dominated New Zealand.
That culminated at the Rio Olympics in 2016, when Australia took gold in a strong performance over New Zealand in the final.
While Australia claimed the world series title this year, New Zealand finished more strongly.
Alongside its dramatic win in the Commonwealth Games final — in which Brazier scored an 80m matchwinning try — the side won the last three tournaments on the circuit.
Australia has beaten the Black Ferns Sevens only once since Rio. That was crucial for the mentality going into next season and, ultimately, forward to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Brazier’s plan was to keep playing and, provided she was playing well, make the trip to the Tokyo.
A gold there would arguably be the crowning achievement in a career in which she has won two World Cups — one in sevenaside and one in 15aside.
Balmacewen was just the first stop for the Black Ferns Sevens’ trio yesterday. They also visited Columba College and Otago Girls’ High School, another old stomping ground of Brazier’s.