Fresh from going viral and ahead of making her RWC debut in a must-win clash against Scotland, the effervescent 19-year-old took time to take us through what has been an eventful week.
This has been a dream for me, it’s one of those where you dream big, because I was at the last World Cup. I was with the U18 Fijiana. I was 14 or 15 and I was there watching in the stands. I remember watching the Fijiana play and the Black Ferns, all the teams. And after being around them and feeling the atmosphere I made it my big goal to one day represent my country internationally and hopefully get the chance to play in the World Cup, and here I am.
I’m more faith driven, and with God, I think that anything’s possible.
Just being a part of the squad here with the ladies, I still look up to each and every one of them. It’s still a dream come true for me.
Inspiring the team & going viral
We usually have lotu (church) every day and either the night before or the morning of, one of our leaders puts out who’s doing the lotu and what our dress code is and everything. So the ‘bomb squad’, the ones who weren’t playing (against Australia) were asked to share.
So after the game, I went to my room, and I could feel how my team was feeling. Being there with them, you could feel how a big loss can get to you. So I was laying down in my room on my bed, and I put on some worship songs, and I was reading my Bible, and I just started writing.
I was thinking about each and every one of my teammates, how they’d be feeling. I just wanted to write a word of encouragement for them, because it’s really nice to hear that encouragement, that support from within. Because you know, you’re away from your family, so for these weeks we have to be each other’s family.
I was very shocked that it went quite viral!
And seeing my teammates’ reaction when I was sharing, how emotional they were getting and how it really touched them. Their feedback to me, felt really nice. That it actually meant something to them and touched them personally.
If I am (asked to say anything before the Scotland game on Saturday) I guess I’ll be ready!
Inspired in turn by Ruby Tui
I actually met Ruby (New Zealand’s RWC and Olympic Games winner) in person in 2023 when I was painting a a changing room for my club in Auckland, and she came along because we were encouraging female rugby. She was very down to earth, and I was a fan-girl to her, because I just loved the way she plays.
They say don’t meet your heroes, it’s not worth it, but she was so humble and so positive. Her vibes were just so nice, and it was so cool because she was helping us paint the walls and the changing rooms!