Northland ready to make impact
A massive amount of effort, dedication and long-term vision over the past 12 months will come to fruition this Saturday when Northland runs out on to Tremain Park in Napier wearing the Cambridge Blue to make a historic first appearance in the Farah Palmer Cup against Hawke’s Bay.
While it’s been a collaborative effort, it is hard to imagine anyone has worked harder towards realising a longstanding goal of having Northland represented in the national provincial women’s rugby championship than head coach, Cheryl Smith nee Waaka.
A Kaikohe rugby stalwart and Sport Northland coordinator for the Mid North, Smith believed an exciting, groundbreaking season lay in store — although she was under no illusion the newest team in the competition would face a trial by fire in their debut campaign.
She said the resources needed to put a team into the cauldron of the FPC had been built on the rising profile the women’s game had enjoyed over the past two years, both nationally and closer to home. This was reflected in the makeup of the Northland squad: a mix of international experience and young up upcoming talent about to get their first taste of top class rugby.
The majority of the team is selected from those clubs that competed in the re-animated domestic competition this year, which was designed as a stepping stone for those wanting to play at a higher level.
Smith said this had led to “a lot more girls playing which is great” and noted Northland’s inclusion in the FPC showed there were now “better, stronger pathways for local players”.
Among current and former Black Ferns in the team are Te Kura ‘TK’ Ngata-Aerengamate, Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali and Karla Wihongi. Also likely to have a big impact in the campaign are former Kiwi Ferns player Krystal Murray from Kaitaia, and Whangarei’s Taylor Hodson-Tomokino, who has played for the Samoan national team in the past.
Ngata Aerengamate, currently in a relief teaching role at Kaitaia College, left a longstanding run with FPC premiership side Counties Manukau to come north, where she has been actively promoting the women’s game in the area. She was excited about the challenges which lay head.
“It’s going to be one to watch,” she said of this Saturday’s clash.
She also noted the experienced players in the team were determined to provide plenty of
leadership this season.
“We are kind of seen like the role models of Northland, our role is to pass on our knowledge . . . Girls here have been really up to learning the game of rugby. I’m proud to be a part of this.”
Cheryl Smith, of course, also carries a vast wealth of experience, having played in two world cups during a 10-year stint with the Black Ferns last century, while also playing in the national provincial competition with Auckland during that spell.
She was particularly proud of the strong Far North presence in the Northland team, which features players from Kaitaia and Kaikohe alongside those from the Whanga¯rei clubs as far south as Mangawhai.
The abundance of enthusiasm for the task ahead from all involved had also been reassuring, not least in the strong attendance seen at the twiceweekly trainings over the past two months.
In the regional sessions run on Tuesdays (where the Far North players train in Kaitaia, the Bay of Islands and Mid North ones train in Kaikohe etc) and then in Kaikohe for the whole squad on Thursday evenings.
Some who lived and worked in Auckland regularly drove north to train with the team, Smith said.
“This shows the commitment [we have] right there.”
After some difficult decisions which culled the full squad of 28 — all of whom were dead-set keen — to the matchday line-up of 22, the Northlanders fly to Napier tomorrow, play on Saturday and return home on Sunday.
“It’s just going to be exciting times for the girls, for everyone really, the first experience of playing rep rugby for a lot of The Northland team for this Saturday’s FPC match against Hawke’s Bay in Napier is, 1 Helen Kapa, 2 TK Ngata-Aerengamate (captain), 3 Kamila Wihongi, 4 Harono Te Iringa, 5 Taylah HodsonTomokino, 6 Mia Anderson, 7 Jurney Blair, 8 Krystal Murray, 9 Manaia Webb, 10 Victoria Subritzky-Nafatal, 11 Savannah Bodman, 12 Stacey Tupe (vice captain), 13 Alisha Proctor, 14 Cheryl Murray, 15 Amanda Neipa. Reserves: 16 Patricia Vaka, 17 Kahurangi Shelford, 18 Bron Hames, 19 Eva Fulton, 20 Timara Leaf, 21 Tyler Nankivell, 22 Kat Wira-Kohu; injured: Justice Karena, Leilani Ewin; and, on standby: Jamie Brown, Fern Walton, Tui McGeorge, and JherhiKah Hoet.
them, really quality rugby as well.”
■ Northland play their first home game at Trigg Stadium against Otago on Saturday, September 14.