Rugby: Six from Otago in Black Ferns

Victoria Nafatali
Victoria Nafatali
Victoria Nafatali will make her international debut on the Black Ferns tour of England later this month. She is one of six Otago players in the 26-strong squad.

Nafatali (20), a hard-running first five-eighth, gained selection after playing a key role in Otago's third place in the national championship.

The other Otago players are Claire Richardson (second five-eighth), Kelly Brazier (centre), Kat Wilton (prop), Anika Tiplady (wing) and Halie Hurring (fullback). They have all played for the Black Ferns before.

It was a remarkable effort by an Otago team that was not given any financial support by a cash-strapped Otago Rugby Football Union.

The team was only able to play in the NPC after it raised $20,000 to pay for airfares and accommodation.

Brazier, Wilton and Richardson were playing rugby in Canada when they heard of Otago's plight and returned home to help the cause. They are former students at the Otago Polytechnic Institute of Sport and Adventure.

Brazier (22) scored 53 points in the 10 games she played for the Black Ferns from 2009 to 2011.

She set a New Zealand women's representative record by scoring 45 points for Otago Spirit in its match against Hawkes Bay at the North Ground last month.

Richardson (28) returns to the Black Ferns after a gap of five years. She played 14 tests from 2003 to 2007. Wilton (27) played five tests from 2007 to 2011.

Tiplady (32) played two tests for the Black Ferns in 2007 and 2009 when she was in the New Zealand Army. She is now a medical student.

Hurring (26) played five games for the Black Ferns in 2008 and 2010 when representing Canterbury. She works for Leslie Rugby in Dunedin.

Other new caps in the squad named by coach Brian Evans are Zoey Berry (Canterbury), Aleisha Nelson (Auckland), Jackie Patea (Wellington) and Charlene Halapua (Auckland).

Auckland has 11 players in the squad and is followed by Otago 6, Canterbury 4, Manawatu 3, and Wellington and Waikato one each.

The three-test series concludes with the final test at Twickenham after the All Blacks-England test on December 1.

Auckland police officer and 2011 New Zealand women's player of the year Fiao'o Fa'amausili has been named captain.

 


Black Ferns
To tour England

• Backs: Zoey Berry Canterbury), Emma Jensen (Auckland), Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury), Victoria Nafatali (Otago), Kelly Brazier (Otago), Teresa Te Tamaki (Waikato), Claire Richardson (Otago), Shakira Baker (Manawatu), Halie Hurring (Otago), Anika Tiplady (Otago), Selica Winiata (Manawatu), Hazel Tubic (Auckland).

• Forwards: Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox (Canterbury), Ruth McKay (Manawatu), Kathleen Wilton (Otago), Aleisha Nelson (Auckland), Fiao'o Faamausili (Auckland), captain, Karina Stowers (Auckland), Eloise Blackwell (Auckland), Jackie Patea (Wellington), Charlene Halapua (Auckland), Rawinia Everitt (Auckland), Lydia Crossman (Auckland), Justine Lavea (Auckland), Aroha Savage (Auckland), Casey Robertson (Canterbury).

Itinerary
v England, Esher, November 24;
v England, Aldershot, November 28;
v England, Twickenham, December 1.


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