"It's hard because there aren't as many female fighters these days. I've had to diversify and seek fighters from other factions and styles just to get bouts," Wooster said.
One of nine members of her family who represent the Wooster International Kyokushin Karate Academy, Wooster, has been fighting for 12 years. She is ranked among the top three Australasian competitors in her division and will aim to do the best of those fighters in Durban.
"It will be my first World Cup but I've fought in Australia on four different occasions in the past."
She will join fellow members of the New Zealand team for two training camps in Wellington during the buildup to Durban.
Wooster pointed out her EIT course gives her plenty of theory to put into use particularly when she is instructing her squad of under-10 fighters.
"Often Mum tells me I'm not doing things right but I tell her it's what I've learned on my course."
Another Wooster Academy fighter, Jesse Wall, captured the open men's division title and the Ultimate Men's Fighter Trophy. He was unbeaten in his four full contact bouts, three ippon (fighting but not full contact) and two kata (patterns) bouts.
Like Wooster, Wall, 19, left his regular middleweight division and went up to heavyweight so he could get more fights. He took up the martial art eight years ago after becoming sick of being a punching bag for primary school bullies.
A black belt holder for the past three years, Wall, has a long-term goal of being a third degree black belt holder.
"I was happy with my full contact final win against Cheyenne [Collins] as I was pretty sore from some incorrect blocks in my earlier fights," Wall explained.
The weekend's tournament attracted 112 competitors from throughout the North Island.
