Making rings for Black Ferns ‘out the gate’
The Black Ferns made Cameron Jewellery an offer it couldn’t refuse.
The Palmerston North jewellers made 82 rings for the Black Ferns ahead of the recent rugby World Cup, so was celebrating when the team beat England in the final at the weekend.
Cameron Jewellery owner Jessie Cameron said they had been asked to do something amazing and it was made even better with the Manawatū connection to the team, with Feilding High School products Sarah Hirini and Georgia Ponsonby in the squad and Manawatū ’s Wesley Clarke an assistant coach.
The jeweller makes a few New Zealand-themed items, having previously made badges for 100 years of the game in New Zealand.
Cameron said someone from New Zealand Rugby events team had contacted them asking about the rings.
‘‘We custom designed it. Lauren [Cournane] the manager did it on FaceTime while the girls were playing Japan.’’
The jewellers made 82 rings for the whole squad, one of the largest volumes of one item they have made.
‘‘We can cope. It was one of those opportunities we couldn’t say no.
‘‘We made time. Every one, because they’re homemade, it took the [three jewellers] three days to make.’’
The rings arrived in time for the Black Ferns ahead of the world cup’s opening ceremony.
Cameron said she had seen photos of the team wearing the rings after winning the final and was thrilled.
Before the rings were made they sent a package of rings to the Black Ferns to make sure the sizes were right.
‘‘It was pretty cool, we could see the names on the spreadsheet. We made one for Graham Henry.
‘‘Some of those girls, Kendra Cocksedge, Ruby Tui, to see those names we were making something for them was out the gate.’’
The jewellers make Kiwianathemed items, including pieces with a silver fern and rugby ball.
They used the silver fern and put it on a ring that would suit men or women.
It has Rugby World Cup 2021 on the inside of the ring. The tournament was postponed to 2022 because of Covid-19, but kept the original name.
Fellow owner Sam Drummond did most of the work making the rings.