Inaugural double-header marks momentous AFL growth
A mother and daughter duo, familiar with challenging each other – often fighting to get the first tackle in or to sidestep around the other – have now been able to wear the same footy team colours representing their region for the first time.
The season opener of the AFL New Zealand Premiership featured the first South Island-based women’s team to enter the domestic competition.
The inaugural double-header featuring both the Southern Saints (men’s) and the Southern Stars (women’s) teams at Christchurch’s QE2 Park on Sunday marked momentous growth in the sport.
From having only enough players for a six-a-side team two seasons ago in Canterbury, female player numbers have more than doubled to create the first Stars team.
It means Tamara Toaolamai and her 21-year-old daughter, Naia ToaolamaiHolden, have joined the same team, finally representing their home town Christchurch after each playing for different North Islandbased premiership teams last year.
The pair have always played rugby together for High School Old Boys Rugby Club. Naia, now a New Zealand AFL Kahu squad member, tried the code for the first time last year and was “pretty passionate about it now”, she said. Tamara followed suit.
Having torn the meniscus in her right knee this summer, Naia has had to don the new red and black colours from the sideline, not able to play for a couple of months following surgery.
Tamara said she was “gutted” that Naia was not currently playing, but it had driven her to work hard and put herself in contention to hopefully play at a higher international level alongside her daughter in the Pacific Cup in November.
“It was awesome to have our first game here in Ōtautahi ... to have a South Islandbased team and our first game [be] a home one was special,” Tamara said.
Saints player and current captain of the New Zealand men’s team Andrew Howison said it was “pretty cool” to see the sport growing locally.