Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Black Ferns: New Bay faces in development team for Oceania Rugby champs

Kristin Macfarlane
By Kristin Macfarlane
Bay of Plenty Times·
2 Nov, 2019 01:09 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Bay of Plenty's Kendra Reynolds, Angel Mulu and Kelsie Wills have been identified as among the brightest up-and-coming women's rugby talent. Photos / Getty Images

Bay of Plenty's Kendra Reynolds, Angel Mulu and Kelsie Wills have been identified as among the brightest up-and-coming women's rugby talent. Photos / Getty Images

When New Zealand hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2021, don't be surprised if you see the Wills name on the back of a Black Ferns jersey.

That's according to Bay of Plenty Volcanix player and Bay of Plenty Rugby Union's women's rugby development officer Kendra Reynolds, who says her regional representative teammate Kelsie Wills is a talent she hasn't come across in the sport.

But Reynolds is no lightweight on the rugby field either. In fact she and Wills, along with fellow Volcanix teammate, Angel Mulu, have been identified as three of New Zealand's brightest up-and-coming women's rugby talent.

They are three of 16 new faces named in a 28-strong Black Ferns Development XV team to play in the 2019 Oceania Rugby Women's Championship in Fiji this month. The squad also includes 12 capped Black Ferns and players from the wider training squad, including a fourth Bay of Plenty rugby player and Black Fern, Luka Connor.

This will be the first time a Black Ferns Development XV side will take part in the Oceania Rugby Women's Championship which includes Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Australia A. The competition kicks off on November 18.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Luka Connor is a contracted Black Fern also heading to Fiji. Photo / File
Luka Connor is a contracted Black Fern also heading to Fiji. Photo / File

Reynolds says she was looking forward to the opportunity to represent New Zealand in the development squad, news she learned about just before the annual Bay of Plenty Rugby Awards ceremony on October 16, when she and Wills were both recognised. Reynolds won the award for the Volcanix Player of the Year, while Wills was awarded the Volcanix Forward of the Year award.

Reynolds says it was exciting to be able to quietly "high-five" and quietly celebrate with her teammate before the selection was announced.

The loose-forward, who is a powerhouse on the field, says she can't wait to play alongside her friends in Fiji, with plenty of focus going into preparing for Fiji's heat and humidity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She's not sure of the process following the tournament but will put her best foot forward.

As for Wills, a 2018 Commonwealth Games beach volleyballer who played her first game of 15s rugby this year after giving the sevens and 10s formats a go at the end of last year, Reynolds says she can't remember a new player to have gone through the ranks and make such an impact in the sport in such a short amount of time.

Discover more

Five Bay players in Black Ferns touring squad

18 Jun 06:07 AM

Hungry Volcanix finally taste victory

21 Sep 10:00 PM

Volcanix end season of growth

14 Oct 09:01 PM

All the winners from the annual Bay of Plenty Rugby awards

16 Oct 09:00 AM

She expects to "see the Wills name" on the back of a Black Ferns jersey in the near future.

New Zealand Rugby's head of women's rugby Cate Sexton said it was an important opportunity for up-and-coming players to gain valuable international experience and exposure to the Black Ferns environment.

"As women's rugby goes from strength to strength globally we need to make sure we are continuing to develop greater depth at the high performance level. To do this we need to give our top emerging talent opportunities to play other international sides.

"The selected squad is a mix of capped Black Ferns who will build on their international experience, and players from FPC teams who we believe have the potential to step up to the next level."

The Oceania champs provide a pathway for women's rugby in the Pacific with qualifying positions for the 2021 Rugby World Cup available. The Black Ferns and Australia have already qualified for the 2021 Rugby World Cup and will play in pool matches only.

"When we host the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand we want as many nations as possible to be in a position to be able to send a team to take part. While we want to build depth for our Black Ferns, it's very important to New Zealand Rugby that we support our Oceania neighbours to develop women's rugby in their countries too."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sexton says the tournament also provides growth for the coaching and management team to build as well.

Coaching the Black Ferns Development XV squad is Waikato's Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) coach Wayne Maxwell as head coach, Canterbury FPC coach Kieran Kite as assistant coach for the backs and Whitney Hansen assistant coach for the forwards. Former Black Fern Amanda Murphy takes up the strength and conditioning coach role, Counties Manukau Steelers' manager Faamoana Leilua will manage the side and Gabrielle McCullough has been appointed the squad's physiotherapist.

The squad (*Capped Black Fern):
Angel Mulu - Bay of Plenty
Kelsie Wills - Bay of Plenty
Kendra Reynolds - Bay of Plenty
Luka Connor* - Bay of Plenty
Joanna Fanene - Auckland
Natahlia Moors* - Auckland
Saphire Abraham - Auckland
Alana Bremner - Canterbury
Amy Rule - Canterbury
Chelsea Bremner - Canterbury
Grace Brooker* - Canterbury
Martha Lolohea - Canterbury
Mel Puckett - Canterbury
Olivia McGoverne - Canterbury
Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu* (Captain) - Counties Manukau
Hazel Tubic* - Counties Manukau
Lisapeta Molia - Counties Manukau
Langi Veainu - Counties Manukau
Leilani Perese* - Counties Manukau
Forne Burkin* - Hawke's Bay
Krysten Cottrell* - Hawke's Bay
Lauren Balsillie - Manawatu
Pia Tapsell* - North Harbour
Eilis Doyle - Otago
Kilisitina Moata'ane* - Otago
Kennedy Simon* - Waikato
Amanda Rasch - Wellington
Joanah Ngan-Woo* - Wellington

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

07 Jul 06:00 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

Truck driver back at work and walking again after surviving fatal crash

07 Jul 06:00 PM

He had nine surgeries: 'There was nothing left - no bones or anything left in my foot.'

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Hunter who feeds the hungry named Volunteer of the Year

Hunter who feeds the hungry named Volunteer of the Year

07 Jul 06:56 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP