After a year of tragedy, Luke and Hannah Romano talk about how life has turned around

June 28, 2019

Former All Black Luke is stepping into the outdoor adventure business. (Source: Other)

One year ago Seven Sharp sat down with former All Black and current Crusader Luke Romano and his wife Hannah to talk about a part of their very public life that they'd been keeping private.

The pair had lost their son Felix in the late stages of pregnancy and wanted to share their story so that other people going through the same grief felt comfortable talking about it.

Well time goes on and it's been a busy year for the Romanos.

The last time Seven Sharp caught up with the them it was for a very open and honest conversation about a son that was no longer with them.

The couple talk publically for the first time about their loss on Seven Sharp. (Source: Other)

"I was 37 weeks pregnant, it was a regular visit with the obstetrician and they couldn't find a heart beat," says Hannah.

But, she said going public with their very sensitive ordeal had an amazing ripple effect, even impacting the Prime Minister.

"So we were at the New Zealand Rugby Awards and Jacinda Ardern was there and she really admired our courage and strength,” says Hannah.

Consequently grieving parents can now access bereavement leave.

"That would never have happened if we didn’t speak about what had happened to us," Hannah says.

However, heartbreak did strike the family again with Hannah suffering an ectopic pregnancy leading to a miscarriage.

But they took the attitude that life must go on and as a family would look to the future, settled in the Southern Alps.

With new aspirations to be a tour guide, it's an ambition Luke has found outside of rugby.

"Rugby has such a short lifespan. I think the average is about three to four years for a rugby player and it can be cut short in a blink of an eye," he says.

So he's created Monarch, an outdoor adventure company.

A chance to show tourists his passion for everything the New Zealand wilderness has to offer.

Complete with hunting, heli-skiing and fly fishing, there’s a chance he may even throw in a trip to a rugby game.

And not only that, they have a new addition - five-week-old Jonty who after a rough few first weeks in intensive care, is home and thriving.

And that’s life with the Romano’s – facing a whole new set of adventures ahead of them.

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