New captain was told she’d never play again
The new Black Ferns captain has parked her law career for rugby and will lead her country in their first home tests in nearly three years.
Auckland first five-eighth Ruahei Demant was this week named Black Ferns skipper for next month’s Pacific Four Series in New Zealand.
With Les Elder, the captain since 2019, absent for the series while she returns to full fitness for this year’s Rugby World Cup, the 27-year-old Demant is set to lead the Black Ferns in tests against Australia, Canada and the United States in June.
Demant’s elevation to the captaincy completes a remarkable rise for the
East Coast-raised No 10, who was head girl at Warkworth’s Mahurangi College before playing in the
Farah Palmer Cup for Auckland.
She was told she would never play again by a surgeon after suffering three ACL injuries – twice in her left knee and once in her right – between 2013 and 2015.
‘‘I was OK with that and had come to terms with it,’’ Demant said.
‘‘I just wanted to play rugby and have fun with my mates on a Saturday at my club, College Rifles.
‘‘To have the opportunity to captain this team is something I never, ever dreamed of.’’
Demant, who grew up in the tiny Bay of Plenty town of Omaio, made her Black Ferns debut against Australia in Sydney in 2018 and has played 15 tests since.
She was among the first Black Ferns to be offered a fulltime contract in February, as New Zealand Rugby gave 29 women’s players professional deals for the first time.
That meant Demant, who previously worked at the North Shore District Court in the criminal registry as a deputy registrar, can commit everything to rugby for their defence of the World Cup on home soil.
It’s the first time the women’s World Cup will be in New
‘‘To have the opportunity to captain this team is something I never, ever dreamed of.’’ Ruahei Demant
Zealand. The Black Ferns have won five of the seven global tournaments since the first in 1991, including the last title in 2017.
Elder would almost certainly retain the captaincy if she returns, as expected, for the O’Reilly Cup series against Australia in August.
But making Demant the captain in Elder’s absence is a sign of the esteem she is held in among the new coaching group, led by Wayne Smith, as well as the players.
Black Ferns assistant coach Wesley Clarke said Demant would be a great leader.
‘‘She’s really strong in her own identity and with Tikanga Ma¯ ori. She speaks Ma¯ ori and is highly educated and intelligent,’’ Clarke said.
‘‘She’s respected by the group, and at these recent camps with the plans we have in place, she’s getting those things quickly.’’
Being offered the role blindsided her, Demant said, and she couldn’t even share the news with her wha¯ nau until it was announced publicly.
‘‘It’s taken me a while to wrap my head around it,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m excited with the opportunity to lead our team at home in front of our families.’’
When the Black Ferns play Australia in the first round of the Pacific Four Series on June 6 in Tauranga, it will be their first test at home since beating the Wallaroos at Eden Park in August 2019 – namely because of Covid-19’s impact.
After a damning review into their culture and last month’s shock resignation of former coach Glenn Moore, following last year’s troubled tour of England and France, Demant said the June series would test how strong the trust is among the squad.
‘‘The thing that a lot of people don’t see is how tight the girls were off the field, despite the challenges on the field,’’ Demant said.
‘‘Everything wasn’t going for us, but the group stuck together.
‘‘We have a really solid culture in our team. I hope that only can be enhanced as we build towards the World Cup.’’