New women’s academy launched
Manawatu¯ Rugby has launched a women’s academy to focus on developing players into future Cyclones. The 2024 Women’s Academy intake consists of 11 players, six of whom are at secondary school.
The idea of a women’s academy started to gain traction last year during the inaugural Manawatu¯ Wa¯hine Development XV’s campaign. Coaches noted key players in the squad could be good enough to play for the Cyclones if they had the right kind of support in their rugby and personal lives.
Cyclones and Wa¯hine Development XV coaches met to discuss where there were gaps in the women’s game locally and identified positions that had the greatest need for player development.
Like the men’s academy, women’s academy players will have access to
a strength and conditioning coach, physiotherapy, a nutritionist, mental skills coaching, and the union’s personal development manager for assistance with life outside of rugby.
Many of the academy players have come through Manawatu¯ age-grade representative teams.
Manawatu¯ Rugby women and inclusion lead Kahurangi Sturmey is temporarily overseeing the academy until a women’s performance manager is appointed.
Sturmey says the women’s academy bridges the gap between Manawatu¯ Under-18s and the Cyclones.
“There was a need to provide an opportunity for women and girls to receive the training and professional development support to grow as players,” Sturmey says.
Manawatu¯ Rugby interim chief executive Shaun Eade says establishing the academy is a key part of future-proofing the Cyclones.
“We are hugely ambitious about what our Cyclones programme can achieve, but that requires us to futureproof the programme and not only look at what the team looks like this year, but what it could look like a couple of years into the future.
“It is exciting to see this group come together. We were really heartened by the quality of the inaugural Wa¯hine Development XV campaign in 2023, and some of the players really stood out and showed their class. It is great to be able to reward them for their performances and hopefully give them the support they need to take the step to the next level.”
Women’s Academy 2024 Intake
Ffion Barr – halfback, Old Boys-Marist; Lashaye Blake-Thompson – hooker, Kia Toa/Manukura; Manaia BlakeThompson – midfield back, Kia Toa/ Manukura; Gracie Donaldson – lock, Wairarapa Wa¯hine Toa; Anahera Hamahona – flanker, Old Boys-Marist; Kaelyn Ilangana-Latu – halfback, Palmerston North Girls’ High School; Tayma Jahnke – first five-eighth, Freyberg/Palmerston North Girls’ High School; Briahna Roache-Jackson – prop, Old Boys-Marist; Havahna Tuwhangai-Moon – five-eighth/ fullback, Kia Toa/Feilding High School; Shakariyah Waiwai – loose forward, Kia Toa/Feilding High School; Kaia Walker-Waitoa – wing/ midfield back, Bush.