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O’Reilly Cup: Black Ferns v Australia; Where: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton; When: Saturday, 4:35pm. Live coverage: Sky Sport 1, live updates on Stuff from 4:05pm.
The familiar face of Ruby Tui is among the additions to Allan Bunting’s Black Ferns in their first test at home since last year’s epic Rugby World Cup triumph at Eden Park.
She and her room-mate, the uncapped Martha Mataele, have joined the Black Ferns in Hamilton ahead of Saturday’s O’Reilly Cup test against Australia and could feature on the wings.
Tui and Mataele were paired together for the week’s first press conference at the team hotel on Monday. They revelled in giving a hearty, authentic reminder of the joy this group of players aren’t shy about sharing in the limelight.
It was Tui’s first media appearance since she returned from a sevens sabbatical in the United States. The 31-year-old is no stranger to the cameras and was one of the stars of that momentous World Cup win last November.
Peter Meecham/Getty Images
Ruby Tui returned to New Zealand in August and played for Counties Manukau ahead of her Black Ferns comeback.
“I’m stoked as. I definitely feel back at home in this team, but you also feel the weight of this cloak that we wear. It’s special and has a long, long history,” Tui said.
Nudging Mataele, she added: “You’ve got people like my mate coming in and having a good time, reminding us why we all started, and we’re still here.”
They both erupted into laughter.
Honestly, Tui might have been upstaged during Monday’s interview by the latest Black Ferns winger, the 24-year-old Mataele, who has played for Canterbury, Matatū and the Western Force.
“This is my first tour. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if Ruby wasn’t here,” Mataele said.
“She’s been supporting me with heaps of things. She’s even my gym buddy. It’s been the best.”
1 NEWS
Four uncapped players were named in the Black Ferns’ squad for the second O’Reilly Cup test and the inaugural WXV1 (first published on September 11, 2023).
Tui said Mataele’s story was important because she could have been one player lost to New Zealand Rugby.
At this stage, players outside the Black Ferns squad don’t have professional contracts to make a living from the game.
“She has performed consistently throughout [Super Rugby] Aupiki and FPC [Farah Palmer Cup]. She could have gone offshore but stuck at it. I’m really excited for her,” Tui said.
Mataele was in a car with her husband, former Crusader and Force winger Manasa Mataele, when coach Bunting told her she would be in their squad for the Wallaroos test and the inaugural WXV1 for matches against France, Wales and England.
Kelly Defina/Getty Images
Martha Mataele also played for the Western Force this year in Australia’s Super W competition.
“I really wanted to scream on the phone, but I was like ‘no, I won’t blow his ears off’,” Mataele said.
“I was looking at my husband. He was like ‘calm it down’.
“As soon as I hung up, I yelled at the top of my lungs and started crying, balling my eyes out.
“I was so grateful and relieved. There were so many emotions running through my mind.
“It wasn’t sobbing. It was ugly crying. I didn’t even see his reaction.”
Born in Auckland but raised in Christchurch, Mataele indeed confirmed she nearly left New Zealand for Australia when her opportunity with the Black Ferns might have been lost.
“I thought I was content with giving up my dream. Coming home, I want to put my best foot forward and will leave no stone unturned,” she said.
Mataele played for the Force in Perth only this year after winning Super Rugby Aupiki with Matatū in March.
She will be competing with Tui, Katelyn Vahaakolo and Mererangi Paul (who both have two caps) for a spot on the wing. Ayesha Leti-I’iga is out for the season because of a serious knee injury.
Tui played 10 tests through to last year’s World Cup victory and is still adjusting to 15s after a few matches for Counties Manukau in the FPC, which followed her two-month sevens stint with the Golden State Retrievers in the US.
“I definitely needed a break. I’m grateful to Allan Bunting and NZR who allowed me to do that,” she said.
“I had to play for that [sevens] team because it was the only pun in the competition.”
Black Ferns’ tests in 2023
Pacific Four Series
June 29: Australia 0-50 Black Ferns, Brisbane
July 9: Canada 21-52 Black Ferns, Ottawa
July 15: United States 17-39 Black Ferns, Ottawa
O’Reilly Cup
September 30: Black Ferns v Australia at 4:35pm, FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
WXV1
October 21: Black Ferns v France at 7pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington
October 28: Black Ferns v Wales at 4pm, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
November 4: Black Ferns v England at 7pm, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
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