Rugby: Williams hopeful slice of Bologna helps other Tuis

Amy Williams. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

Amy Williams hopes a professional rugby stint she is about to embark on in Italy will open the doors for other Hawke's Bay Tuis to follow.

Today's NPC clash against Canterbury at Napier's Park Island will be her 50th and last for the Tuis before she leaves for Italy tomorrow to begin a 10-month stint with the Bologna club. In addition to playing first five-eighth for Bologna in Italy's Series A 15-team competition she will coach the club's under-16 girls team.

"I will be the only Kiwi in the Bologna side because teams in the comp are only allowed one import. Hopefully everything goes well and there will be opportunities for other Tuis to follow," Williams said.

While this season's Tuis have yet to register a win in four outings, Williams, a member of the 2006 World Cup-winning Black Ferns, believed there was potential in the squad for the next couple of seasons.

"There are 16 girls in this year's team who had never played for the Tuis before and at least five of them are under-18.

"Hopefully they stick around and if they get a bit more backing from the union they will go far."

Williams, 28, made her Tuis debut in 2003 while at Karamu High School. That year the Tuis beat Southland 100-5 at McLean Park.

The Clive utility back's international career included four games for the Black Ferns in 2005 and two at the 2006 World Cup.

Had she not missed the 2006 season as well as the 2012 season when she played for Manawatu and the 2013 season when the Tuis didn't play the NPC, her 50th game milestone would have been achieved a season or two back.

Despite the fact the Tuis have only beaten Canterbury once in nine games, a 17-11 victory in 2006, prop Sharlena Maui was still in hospital with her nerve issue after last week's collapsed scrum and the Hunt sisters, Naomi and Te Aroha, had league commitments, Williams was confident of a competitive display today.

The Black Ferns pair of hooker Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox and halfback Kendra Cocksedge will be among the Cantabs' key players today.

Williams ranked former Black Ferns wingers Vanessa Cootes and Piki Solomon, who played for Waikato and Otago respectively, as the toughest players she has marked in the NPC. On one of the occasions she marked Cootes, Williams scored a hat trick and this is still one of her individual highlights.

We couldn't leave Williams without getting her to name her Tuis team, a selection she considered the best players in their respective positions in her career to date. Williams declined to select herself.

"This team is so good I would prefer to be a spectator," she said.

Her dream team is: Te Maari MacGregor, Ngahuri Thompson, Deidre Hakopa, Claire Richardson, Julie Ferguson, Sylvia Bockman, Gemma Woods, Marina Canterbury, Chanel Huddleston, Yarnisae Whaitiri, Jasmine Tihema, Sara Chalmers, Gina Pomana, Cheryl Heremia, Vicki Peni.

Substitutes, forwards: Helen McGregor, Mary Robinson, Leanne Nelson, Hannah Wainohu, Laurae Blake. Backs: Lisa Ropiha, Kathryn Marshall, Heather Skipworth.