When the Junior Fillies, Ponsonby’s under-13 girls’ team, turned up to training this week, the smell of sausages on the barbecue mixed with the buzz of anticipation.
Their heroes, Black Ferns Backs Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt and Theresa Setefano, once wore the same jerseys they now proudly pull on.
“Me and Sylvia are the only ones from Ponsonby… and we rep that very proudly,” Setefano told 1News from Bristol.
Her message, recorded ahead of the Black Ferns’ semifinal against Canada, drew squeals of delight.
“Oh my God, they know us!” one player shouted.
“It makes me feel like I can become a Black Fern one day," another added.
For their coach Christina, those moments capture what’s special about this team.
“We’re one undefeated here in Auckland, but we don’t really care about the score. It’s more about having fun, learning skills… and building confidence.”
She said the girls are lucky to train in the shadow of stars who once stood where they were.
“The Fillies usually train after us, and they follow Super Rugby players, some Black Ferns. The girls get contact, they get to see them. And the players are great. They’ll pop into training, take photos, do all sorts of really cool stuff. We’re really, really lucky here.”
The suburb where grassroots support for the Black Ferns is swelling - Watch on TVNZ+
Junior Fillies player Elle McColgan said: “I want to show the world that women’s sport is really good and it’s fun."
The pathway is clearer than ever. In 2020, there were just over 23,000 registered female rugby players in New Zealand. By last year, that number had surged to nearly 34,000.
At the Ponsonby club, the change has been visible. A few years ago, Kelis Nelesini, one of the Junior Fillies, had to play in an all-boys’ team because there weren’t enough girls. Now, she’s surrounded by teammates her own age.
“It’s awesome to see how many girls we’ve got now, and this is just one club,” her mum Amber Nelesini said.
Kelise herself admits she wouldn’t be here without her parents’ backing.
“It’s nice to have family there to support me… without them I wouldn’t have this opportunity to play.”
For Ponsonby Rugby Club’s general manager Patrick Rhodes, that’s what it’s all about.
“Our young juniors have heroes to look up to… creating legacies and showing their young protégées that anything and everything is possible.”
Brunt, now a key part of the Black Ferns’ midfield, hasn’t forgotten her roots either.
“I love my club… I wish I was there with them at the barbecue, but I appreciate them so much. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
While the Black Ferns fight for a place in the World Cup final in front of tens of thousands in Bristol, the loudest cheers may just be coming from a little clubhouse in Ponsonby.
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