The opportunity to lead your country in a World Cup doesn't come around often let alone on your home patch but that chance has presented itself for Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu.
The Black Ferns halfback was handed the No.9 jersey and the captaincy for Saturday's final pool match against Scotland in Whangārei.
Having been raised in Northland, playing her junior club rugby at Ohaeawai Rugby Club and attending Okaihau College, Saturday will be more than just a game for the 30-year-old.
"I'm proud for all the young girls who come from here and have a role model they can look up to aspire to be like," Marino-Tauhinu said of her captaincy yesterday.
Black Ferns coach Wayne Smith said the playmaker’s promotion simply made sense.
"She covers a lot of area at halfback and 10 so we have a lot of versatility in the squad so I think it's right thing for Ari in her home territory to lead us out."
Smith's selections were only made yesterday morning with Marino-Tauhinu's family finding out at the same time as the rest of New Zealand.
"I didn't tell them, they found out when everyone else did," she said.
The halfback will lead out New Zealand onto one of her home grounds in Whangārei for their final Rugby World Cup pool match against Scotland. (Source: 1News)
"I've had a lot of messages since then."
One, or perhaps many, of those messages came from her aunty Rana Paraha.
"It was very emotional," a tearful Paraha told 1News.
"It means a lot to us, just the fact that she's come home and just the fact that she's doing it at home, that's something special for us back here, back home and she's coming back to show us all we in Northland can be just like her."
Marino-Tauhinu will start inside Counties Manukau teammate Hazel Tubic in a starting XV featuring 11 changes – two of which are positional – from the side that put away Wales last week.
Smith said the Test against Scotland will put them in good stead for the quarterfinals which the Black Ferns are already confirmed to be part of.
"We've seen bits and pieces of the game we want to play so this Test is about bringing that all together for a more complete performance," Smith said.
"We expect Scotland to be tough up front, so our attitude will need to be there right from kick off."
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