Fostering international relations
Joanah Ngan-Woo completed a Master of International Relations degree at Victoria University in 2018.
But before she tackles the world of diplomacy away from the rugby field, she’d like to do her bit for international relations on it.
After two years around the fringes of the Black Ferns – as a member of the wider training squad in 2017, then one of the first centrally contracted players in 2018 – the Wellington Pride lock made her debut in 2019, playing in three of their six tests last year.
Her parents were in San Diego to watch her earn her first cap against the United States, which she said was ‘‘an absolutely unreal experience’’. ‘‘They say nothing worth waiting for is easy, so it wasn’t easy, but it was worth it and I feel like that was the perfect time for me. ’’
Ngan-Woo is hoping to add to her three caps next year, when the Black Ferns return to action ahead of a World Cup on home soil, and is putting her best foot forward in the Farah Palmer Cup at present.
She made her 50th appearance for the Pride last weekend as they brushed aside the Hawke’s Bay Tui and will captain the side as they host the Manawatu¯ Cyclones at Sky Stadium this afternoon (kickoff 4.35pm).
As far as the Pride are concerned, the battle for a top-two finish in the South pool starts here. They’ve had a pair of emphatic wins (62-0 over Tasman and 67-17 over the Tui) but it’s the games against the Cyclones, defending champions Canterbury, and the Otago Spirit that will decide who makes the semifinals.
This week’s game is a doubleheader with the Wellington Lions’ Mitre 10 Cup clash against Bay of Plenty and the Pride’s only chance to play at Sky Stadium, something Ngan-Woo said was a privilege, ‘‘because some years we’ll never get a stadium game’’.
The Farah Palmer Cup has grown plenty since Ngan-Woo made her debut in 2013, when it was simply known as the women’s national provincial championship and was contested by eight teams – five fewer than there are now.
While that does mean there can be blowouts – as in the Pride’s first two matches – it also means there are more opportunities.
While the Black Ferns won’t play this year, a Possible v Probables match has been scheduled for the weekend after the Farah Palmer Cup final, with two clashes between the national team and a New Zealand Barbarians outfit to follow.
With the World Cup around the corner – provided the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t get in the way – that means there is plenty for those in contention, like NganWoo, to play for.