The young girls in the new Whanganui Metro rugby team naturally look up to the Black Fern in their midst, Sosoli Talawadua.
But the World Cup winner and veteran rugby front rower shies away from the admiration.
“I’ve had a couple of messages from the girls saying they look up to me. But I try not to think of those things,” Talawadua says.
“I try to say: ‘I’m just one of you’. I’m just trying to play rugby and help out a little bit.”
The fact is, she’s helping out a lot. Talawadua is throwing all of her experience into reviving rugby in her hometown of Whanganui.
The eight-cap Black Fern hooker, who was part of the victorious 2017 Rugby World Cup side, has returned home from Hamilton and works part-time as the women’s and secondary schools’ rugby development officer for the Whanganui Rugby Union.
The union already had a goal to get a women’s club up and running in the region. But when 31-year-old Talawadua started in her role last year, the new team – Whanganui Metro – came together much faster than expected.
And it helps that Talawadua, the player of the year for the Manawatū Cyclones last season, is lacing up her boots for the Metro side too.
Getting a team on the field hasn’t been simple, but Talawadua says it’s been helped by having a CEO who’s a huge advocate for the women’s game. Bridget Belsham became the first woman and youngest CEO of Whanganui Rugby in 2015, after switching over from administration roles in greyhound racing.
“Bridget’s been really pushing for this team to get off the ground,” Talawadua says. “It’s also been great for the girls to see women in other roles, not just as players.
“It shows there are other pathways and heaps of opportunities in rugby for them. Plus, she’s pretty fair across the board and also helps in every part of the game.”
Although they haven’t won a club game yet, the Metro team is improving each week.
“The girls don’t really care too much if they win or lose,” says Talawadua. “They were just really happy to get points on the board last week. As long as the girls are learning new skills then we’re pretty happy for now. We’re just trying to make sure it’s a fun season for them.”
Having played school and representative grades growing up in Whanganui, Talawadua says she’s excited about being part of the women’s rugby revival in her hometown.
