Amy rules Eden Park
Community and family support rewarded as Riverton prop makes a mighty contribution to the Black Ferns’ World Cup victory that captivated the nation. Michael Fallow reports.
When Amy Rule scored her crucial try in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final, it detonated excitement worldwide, nationwide, at the town’s local rugby club and in one particular Riverton bedroom.
That’s where a small trio – her mother Christine and grandmother Wendy, and Millie the shi tzu dog – were getting just a bit noisy too.
After the gaspingly close Saturday night game, Rule climbed up Eden Park seating to embrace her uncle Alan Clark, her mum’s twin, who was fair bursting with pride.
‘‘What the hell, girl . . . what the hell! That’s from your mum as well. Unbelievable.’’
That night, about 11pm, Amy Facebook messaged her mother, all teasing understatement about a normal Saturday night ahead, except that she had a wee bit of bling to give her for Christmas.
Yesterday, while Amy and her Black Ferns team-mates, including midfielder Amy du Plessis – a member of the now-famed squad who sat out the final – were being feted in Auckland, Christine was back at work where she’d been ‘‘trying not to burn lunch’’ for residents at the Bupa Longwood Retirement Village and Care Home.
Christine’s parental pride meter was set at couldn’t-be-prouder, but she said it had been stuck there for years – certainly since Amy started her journey several years ago, at Aparima College.
In those less heady times, Christine would drive Amy to Dunedin for training twice a week, taking from 3.30pm to midnight, with game days on top of that.
‘‘She was on a restricted licence, but I wouldn’t let her drive up by herself.’’
Amy had taken a ‘‘very, very determined, very, very humble’’ approach to the sport.
Christine was also mightily impressed with how well the Black Ferns had used the time since the postponement of the tournament last year.
‘‘In hindsight, now, it’s probably good (it happened). This time last year they were in England, getting their arses whooped.’’
In an interview ahead of the final against England, Rule said: ‘‘A lot of people have been a big part of my upbringing. I think about the jobs I’ve had, the teachers, the families, [Riverton] is a small coastal farming community and there are so many connections. I’m getting so many messages and I love that support.
‘‘All these people have supported me through all my stages as well, they all believed in me. So now to be where I am at, and do it for them, is really cool as well.’’
Riverton Rugby Club president Grant Anderson said the game was full of ‘‘the crowd goes wild’’ moments in the clubrooms.
The contest has been hailed internationally as a high-water mark for women’s rugby, containing parity lessons for the rugby world and massive inspiration for girls and young women to enter the sport.
Anderson said it was notable that the crowd at Riverton included a ‘‘pretty cool’’ mix of young and senior players.
The club wanted to be part of the new momentum.
‘‘We’re hoping that we’ll have our own women’s rugby team in Riverton next year. There’s a big push in the next few weeks to get that sorted for next season, and hopefully it rolls on into our 150-year jubilee in 2024,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re hoping that we’ll have our own women’s rugby team in Riverton next year.’’ Grant Anderson Riverton Rugby Club president