Pay sparks a great new beginning for women’s rugby

OPINION: Like many young girls growing up in Taranaki, I played every sport that was going.

I picked up most sports naturally, but while most of my mates chose to pursue netball because it was the most obvious choice for a young Kiwi girl, my heart sung out to rugby.

So I went for it. I played against the boys at school, I trained on my own and I learned how to spiral the ball like Andy Ellis.

One of my earliest memories of rugby was running around the icy fields at home in bare feet, I just wanted to be out there throwing the ball around any chance I got.

My favourite Black Fern was Amiria Rule (nee Marsh) because of her ability to read the game, her explosiveness and phenomenal ball skills.

As a young girl I aspired to become a Black Fern just like her. That was always the aim. It never crossed my mind ‘‘can I make a living out of this’’?, but what 10-year-old thinks about those details?

I am now 29 and today marked something special for women’s rugby in New Zealand, and hopefully the rest of the world will follow the example set by New Zealand Rugby and the Rugby Players’ Association. Myself and my team-mates are now rewarded for playing the game we love, and while it is not a fulltime salary, it is a great start.

Up to 30 of New Zealand’s best female 15-a-side rugby players could earn $40,000-$45,000 this year for about 50 days of training camps and test matches.

This is what I hope is just the beginning of opening up pathways for women’s 15s players, just like our past players opened up pathways for us. Think about it, just last year we won the Women’s Rugby World Cup on a daily allowance at the tournament in Ireland.

On top of the increased pay, we will be part of a high performance programme which will better support our players and better women’s rugby. This is huge progress and something I am really proud to have been a part of when negotiating with New Zealand Rugby over the last four months.

At 29, my professional playing days are closing in on me, but that does not make this any less satisfactory. We have opened doors for those young girls who are stuck between the push for a career in netball, hockey and now rugby. Anything is possible for Kiwi sporting girls, and I hope more choose rugby because they love the game like I do.

While a salary and this historic agreement with NZR is positive, it does not change the way I play or my hunger for rugby.

When I came through the ranks at Canterbury, the Black Ferns and the Black Ferns Sevens, I made sure I was in it for the right reasons, and for me that will always be the case. Rugby is my first love, everything else is just the icing on the cake.