Waikato player of the year

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

At the start of her season with the Waikato women’s rugby team, Renee Holmes didn’t really expect to nail down a starting spot.

But she played every minute of every game for them in the Farah Palmer Cup this year and, at the end of it, she was named the Waikato women’s player of the year.

Holmes, 19, from Gisborne, said she was shocked to be nominated for the award, and then to win it.

Playing in her first year with Waikato, after previous stints at Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty, she felt she became more confident through the season about implementing the game plan.

She played at first five-eighth, halfback and fullback over the season.

Holmes scored her first try in the Farah Palmer Cup in the unfamiliar role of halfback, which she said was fun. She enjoyed the culture of the Waikato team.

“I felt like I clicked with a lot of the girls straight away.”

It was her best season so far, she said.

Waikato missed out on the premiership semifinals this year but Holmes felt they would be among the contenders next year.

“I can’t wait for next year.”

The standard of the Farah Palmer Cup had been improving and Holmes was excited to be involved.

For the moment, however, her focus has switched to sevens.She will be part of the Ignite7 competition in Auckland next month (see sidebar story).