However, her immediate priority is her new role with the Bay union, to spearhead the women's development plan which has been put in place to encourage girls to become involved in all aspects of rugby and to nurture the development of this talent through to an elite level in playing, coaching or refereeing.
"Basically I want to get more girls playing rugby from primary school level up. I want to see a bigger base of school players available for Hawke's Bay teams which play at under-15 and under-18 tournaments around the country. I want to make sure our women's sevens and 15s teams are competitive and I want to show our female players there are heaps of opportunities available to them like overseas contracts."
A former Hawke's Bay Tuis player, Cottrell, played the last of her 18 division one games for the team in 2012 before opting to play for Manawatu for the last four winters. She will play for Manawatu again this year but hopes the Tuis will be ready for a return to division one NPC play next year and if this eventuates Cottrell, the wife of promising Hawke's Bay premier level referee Tipene Cottrell, will pull on the black and white jersey again.
"I've had a good time travelling around the country playing for Hawke's Bay and Manawatu teams. I've played in Hong Kong with the New Zealand Sevens Development team ... now it's time for me to show youngsters how they can have the same experiences," she added.
Cottrell (nee Duffill) is one of two new female staff members hired by the union in recent weeks. The other is former Napier City Council community services division worker Loren Hann, who has taken on the role of social media and marketing officer.
"Women's rugby is a growth part of the game throughout the country and Krysten's appointment demonstrates how seriously we are taking the need to prioritise it," said union chief executive Mike Bishop.
The sister of Hawke's Bay Sevens representative and in-form Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports centre Hayden Hann, 27-year-old Hann is enjoying the variety associated with her position. In addition to her marketing and digital media jobs she will also focus on event management.
While her three brothers all played rugby, Hann was more of a netballer during her time at Taradale High School. She was beaten in her bout against Samantha Lee Ware-Jackson when she fought in the Battle for Life charity boxing event last September.
Before getting into the digital media scene Hann studied for a diploma in outdoor adventure tourism and travelled through Europe. Among her jobs while overseas was a stint as a dive instructor.
"Loren was one of a number of high-calibre candidates we interviewed for the role but ultimately she stood out head and shoulders from the rest while her skillset in the design and social media and marketing space will certainly increase our capability in this area exponentially as this has been an area we have been lacking in for some time," union commercial manager Jay Campbell said.
"I'm excited at the prospect of connecting with a growing fan base through our various social media platforms."
"Loren has been appointed to lead our social media and to assist with how we market and promote the game to all aspects of our community," Campbell added.
Bishop said Hann's excellent credentials in those key areas would enable the union to reach out to a younger audience.
