Leap of faith

Black Ferns lock Chelsea Bremner is taking a year of unpaid leave from her regular teaching job to try and crack the Rugby World Cup squad.

The 27-year-old from Christchurch made history in her long-awaited test debut in Monday’s 23-10 win over Australia at the soaking Tauranga Domain, starting with sister

Alana, who was at blindside flanker.

It was a memorable day for the Bremner family, who flew up from Christchurch and had to huddle under umbrellas to watch

Alana and Chelsea in torrential rain, as the Canterbury forwards became the fifth pair of sisters to play a test for the Black Ferns.

‘‘It was really enjoyable and such a special moment,’’ Bremner said. ‘‘There was that huge downpour just before halftime. We went into the sheds and everyone was shivering by the time we ran back out.

‘‘Out on the field, I love it when it’s wet weather rugby. It’s always more fun.’’

Bremner, who was among the seven test debutants in the Pacific Four Series opener against the Wallaroos, waited more than four years to play a test after her first Black Ferns training camp in 2018. Until signing a professional contract this year ahead of the first women’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand, she was balancing rugby with her fulltime teaching role.

‘‘It was a really tricky challenge, especially last year when our contract went parttime,’’ she said.‘‘I definitely could not have been a fulltime teacher without support from my school.’’

That means the intermediate teacher can focus fully on her time with the Black Ferns while on a year of unpaid leave from Christchurch’s Hornby High School.

Bremner said the school has been ‘‘so supportive and accommodating’’ throughout her career that only started when younger sister Alana asked if she fancied a game for the Lincoln University club because they were short of players.

‘‘I was really reluctant, but I went along to one training and really loved it. That was it,’’ Bremner said.

After growing up with netball, she was 20 when she played rugby for the first time in 2015.

‘‘It took me a while because I’d never really watched rugby. It took me quite a while to learn the rules,’’ she said.

Bremner was an accomplished goal shooter in netball, making junior representative teams for Otago and New Zealand, but her rugby career went on upward curve after her Farah Palmer Cup debut for Canterbury in 2016.

She won four successive provincial titles with the red and blacks from 2017 to 2020 and made