Black Ferns: Tui pair on the big bird for matches in South Africa

New Black Ferns XV selection Leilani Hakiwai in Farah Palmer Cup women's NPC action for the Hawke's Bay Tui against Auckland Storm. Photo / Andrew Cornaga - Photosport

Two Hawke’s Bay Tui players have been named in a Black Ferns XV squad for two matches against the Springbok Women in South Africa in two weeks’ time.

The two are 20-year-old current Tui midfield back Leilani Hakiwai, who made her debut aged 16 in 2021, and 23-year-old Canterbury-based prop Moomooga (Ashley) Palu, who, also as a schoolgirl, made her debut for Hawke’s Bay in 2018.

It’s the first season in the squad for Hakiwai, but Palu first wore the black jersey two years ago, selected from Hawke’s Bay to play in a Black Ferns XV match against Samoa representatives Manusina, before she transferred to Canterbury last year.

Both played in this year’s Super Rugby Aupiki competition, Hakiwai for Hurricanes Poua and Palu for South Island side Matatū, and in the Black Ferns wider training squad, with Palu playing in the July 5 Black Ferns XV match against the World Cup-bound Black Ferns in Whangārei.

Moomooga (Ashley) Palu, playing for Hawke's Bay Tui in 2021. She was first named in a Black Ferns XV in 2023, moved to Canterbury last year, and is now in a Black Ferns XV about to play two matches in South Africa. Photo / NZME

They fly out on Sunday for the South Africa matches at the 34,000-seat Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on July 27 and August 3.

Team coach Willie Walker said the trial match had been a successful exercise ahead of the trip to Cape Town, with a strong squad selected to play the Springboks.

“The trial in Whangārei was an ideal build-up for this group and helpful in assessing players and combinations. We’ve selected a strong squad and it’s a huge opportunity for these players to experience a touring environment and to play against a tier-one international opponent.”

Players could also be on standby should serious injury issues arise with the first-string Black Ferns at the Rugby Women’s World Cup from August 22 to September 27 in England.

Defending champions New Zealand are in a separate pool from South Africa.

Meanwhile, another Hawke’s Bay sports star heading overseas with a national side is first-year Hawks basketball player Luca Yates, who came to the Hawks from Australian champions Illawarra Hawks and was one of the four tallest players in the Sal’s NBL New Zealand men’s competition this year.

A Tall Blacks team, to be captained by 2023-24 Hawke’s Bay Hawk Jordan Ngatai, was named this week for the August 5-17 FIBA Asia Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia, with Yates one of three players added for two warm-up tournaments in China on July 26-31.

Teenager Jackson Ball, who made his senior Tall Blacks debut earlier this year, recently starred in the Junior Tall Blacks’ World Championships semifinal performance and has now been named the NBL’s Youth Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player, averaging 34 minutes and 19.9 points a game. He is not available for the Asia Cup because of his commitments to studying at Napier Boys’ High School, where he is deputy head prefect.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.