In the early 1990s, St Hilda’s Collegiate teacher John Bradfield was looking for an assistant coach to help him out with the school’s First XV when he rang the physical education department at the University of Otago to see if anyone was interested.
A young woman by the name of Farah Palmer answered the call, and made the trip up to St Hilda’s to lend a hand to a bunch of fresh-faced teenagers wanting to get stuck in.
Palmer, who was playing for Otago at the time, went on to be one of the most recognisable faces in women’s rugby, captaining the Black Ferns before being appointed to the New Zealand Rugby board.
It was a "happy accident" for the school — but one that remains invaluable for them today.
Palmer stayed on with the team for a couple of years after Bradfield — who is now back at St Hilda’s as teacher in charge of rugby — moved on, and she paved the way for future generations of rugby at the school.
That opened the door for St Hilda’s to produce some of the Otago Spirit’s finest, including current back Sheree Hume and hooker Hannah Lithgow.
Rugby has grown massively at the school across the past three decades.
More players were arriving from rural areas, having already played in boys’ teams, and the interest had grown with 55 girls involved in the sport — including 20 year 9s — this season.
Several players Palmer helped coach now have daughters at the Dunedin school, which is gearing up for its biggest battle yet.
The St Hilda’s team had a hard-fought 33-27 win over Central Southland College in Invercargill last week to win the Highlanders secondary schoolgirls’ final. They now head to Christchurch tomorrow to play powerhouses Christchurch Girls’ in the South Island final; the winner will qualify for the top four.
It is a big occasion for the team, who are coached by James O’Brien and Lucy Holmes-Crombie.
Bradfield is proud of the St Hilda’s girls, who have a hard-working forward pack and exciting backs, and of how far rugby has come at the school.
Maybe the next Farah Palmer will be out on the pitch tomorrow.
