Bay of Plenty players chasing World Cup glory

HIGH HOPES: Les Ketu, left, and Kelly Brazier training at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance before leaving for the Women's Rugby World Cup. PHOTO: JOHN BORREN

The University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance at Blake Park is the unofficial nerve centre of women's rugby.

The 10 members of the Black Ferns who now live nearby treat it as a second home and it is also the centre for pre-tournament camps for the New Zealand women's sevens team.

For Bay of Plenty players Kelly Brazier, 27, and Les Ketu, 30, the centre was the final work-out zone last week before they met with the rest of the Black Ferns who fly out today from Auckland bound for Ireland to contest the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup.

Brazier and Ketu, who with Black Ferns captain Sarah Goss helped Rangataua make it through to Sunday's Baywide club final, are excited about the challenge that lies ahead this month.

The Black Ferns lost their number one status to England after the Red Roses beat them 29-21 in Rotorua to end the international series with Canada and Australia last month.
Brazier says confidence is high as they chase their fifth world cup title.

"We are definitely wary of them [England]. Obviously we lost to them but I think it was a good thing to measure where we were at and to keep working hard.

"Before them we have a pretty big match against Canada [August 17] so we have to get there [final] first but ultimately England are who we want to play."

Despite the defeat Ketu says there were plenty of positives to take from the June series.
"I think it was really important for us to get some game time as a team. Prior to that series the team had only played together a few times in November so it has been quite a long time in between games," she said.

"It was also good to get some combinations going and getting some game time."

In Ireland Brazier will compete at her third Women's Rugby World Cup. She is looking forward to the team culture and camaraderie off the pitch as much as the rugby.

"It is a long time together but we have a short turn-around playing every four days. I just love being with my teammates and when the culture is good off the field we perform on it," she said.

"That is the biggest thing I took from 2010 compared to 2014."

Ketu is at her first world cup so for her the excitement is also coupled with an element of the unknown.

"Just to be able to represent your country on the biggest rugby stage is one of the most exciting things. To do it alongside some pretty awesome Black Ferns is also exciting," she said.

The rapid rise in popularity in both forms of women's rugby is evident by the speed with which tickets for Ireland's three pool matches at Dublin's 16,000-capacity UCD Bowl sold out.

"The support from the union has been massive and tickets have sold out which is pretty cool," Brazier said.

2017 Women's Rugby World Cup
Black Ferns Pool Matches
August 10 - Black Ferns v Wales (kick-off at 1.45am NZT)
August 13 - Black Ferns v Hong Kong (kick-off at 11pm NZT)
August 18 - Black Ferns v Canada (kick-off at 4.15am NZT)