The Black Ferns have taken a slice of Aotearoa to kids over in England ahead of their first Women’s Rugby World Cup match.
Our team of wāhine visited Westfield Primary School in York for a special rugby skills workshop with kids aged seven to 14.
“Converting football fans one at a time 😉🏉,” the Black Ferns wrote on Instagram.
“Ngā mihi nui to the incredible kids at @theplaceyork for having us over to yours to learn all about rugby and poi. We had such a fun morning hanging with you all. Some future stars in the making for sure!”
They even ran a poi-making tutorial and signed a few too.
“[Our legacy] is what we do on the field but also what we do off the field, giving back to the community to make people want to pick up a rugby ball," said co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu ahead of their World Cup journey.
"What motivates us is everybody back home," she added. "It makes us just want to get out there, put out a performance that we're really proud of and inspire the next generation.
This isn’t the only way our wāhine have been giving the UK a taste of Aotearoa. At their welcoming ceremony in York yesterday, the team performed 'Tōku Reo Tōku Ōhooho'.
“Our beautiful wāhine making us proud on and off the field. Kia ora ❤️,” one fan commented.
“Awesome, gives me chills,” said another. “Massive good luck ladies.”
A third added: “Ātaahua 🥰 (beautiful). Love our girls.”
The video of the waiata was shared by the official España Rugby TikTok page, our first opponents on Monday 25 August. It just goes to show the respect and mana within women’s rugby.
At the opening ceremony in Manchester, Samoa’s Manusina women’s rugby team also welcomed international sides with a stunning performance of 'Afio mai ia Iesu e'.
It's been a powerful start to the competition and we can’t wait to see what all the teams bring to the field.
