It's not quite straight out of Hollywood, but it's close enough – a Californian teenager, moving to New Zealand to pursue her rugby dream.
Sariah Ibarra moved to Aotearoa last year to board at Hamilton Girls High School after falling in love with rugby thanks largely to her family.
The 18-year-old’s brother plays American football back home, but their dad had him get into rugby to learn how to tackle and Ibarra’s love for the game, and New Zealand, grew from there.
“Even though I’m not born in this country, I have mad respect for this country and everything that’s within it,” Ibarra said.
“I’ve just always grown up loving New Zealand rugby and the culture that’s within the game out here.”
The bold move paid off with Ibarra set to make her debut for the New Zealand under-18s team at this weekend’s Global Youth Sevens Tournament in Auckland and she’s hoping it's just the beginning of her story in the black jersey.
“I had a little cry. I mean, this is the first big step to the dream that I want to achieve the whole and reason I came out here.”
So what is that big dream? “To be a Black Fern,” she said.
“There’s actually a video of me doing the haka when I was six-years-old!”
Her parents have helped ensure her she could chase her dream and have told her to never look back.
“They gave their full support, saved up with me and then sent me out here,” she said.
“They have done everything for me.”
Ibarra’s parents will be there this weekend when she makes her international debut – an emotional thought for the teenager.
“I can’t even put it into words how special it is.”
Coach of the team, former Black Ferns Sevens rep and 2017 Rugby World Cup champion Kristina Sue, said the California native has had an influence on the team even before kickoff.
“What I love is in the team room when we first met, she said publicly to the girls, ‘me moving over here was not a sacrifice, it was a choice’,” Sue recalled.
“And I thought, ‘wow, that shows the drive that she has’.”
Drive that'll see this American don one black jersey – who knows how many may follow.
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