Sevens: Bay captain talks it up

CONFIDENT LEADER: Hawke's Bay captain Shaylee Tipiwai has high hopes for her team this weekend. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

One has to admire the confidence of new Hawke's Bay Sevens women's captain Shaylee Tipiwai.

"We're targeting all three of our pool play opponents. Everyone of them is a realistic win, nobody knows anything about us so expect the unexpected from us," Tipiwai said as she studied the Bay's draw for this weekend's nationals in Rotorua.

Hawke's Bay qualified fourth at last month's regionals and will miss the services of their best player at that event, captain and former Aotearoa Maori Sevens rep Julie Ferguson-Ngawaka, who broke her ankle.

In her absence Tipiwai, 25, has been promoted to captain and Kate Bradshaw has been called out of retirement to provide some necessary experience.

Pivot Tipiwai was the logical choice for the leader's role. Although this will be her first nationals with Hawke's Bay the Clive club player played in five Aotearoa Maori nationals.

Four years ago, when Hawke's Bay last played at regional level, Tipiwai was labelled as a serious contender for New Zealand Sevens selection by television commentator and former All Blacks Sevens star Karl Te Nana.

"I could have got serious back then but I decided to have a break for two years. I had played rugby since fifth grade and I had played a lot of sevens and 15s which meant a lot of summers and winters of continuous rugby.

"If the selectors gave me the nod for higher honours now I wouldn't turn it down. The main thing is we have got Hawke's Bay back up to this level ... hopefully we can stay there and then get our 15s back into the NPC too," Tipiwai said.

She agreed the individuals within her team boast strength across the park.

"Our challenge this weekend is to bring it all together. It's up to us experienced players in the team to make sure the young ones have the opportunity to give their best."

At 17, Napier Girls High School's Teilah Ferguson and Taikura Rudolf Steiner School's Niamh Jefferson are the babies of the team which includes two players who have been drafted in from Poverty Bay.

They are experienced midfielder Trisha Hina and winger Sulieti Halafihi.

Hawke's Bay co-coach Joe Heather was to be fair more realistic than his captain.

"I'm hoping for one win on Saturday. If we can get that we'll aim for two on Sunday."

"It's the first time for me and Daniel [Nukunuku] as co-coaches and we're learning as we go. I'm a bit worried about how some of our youngsters will cope with the pressure of the television cameras too," Heather said.

"There's no doubt we're in the pool of death. We have to target Wellington first up because they beat us convincingly at regionals. We are a bit stronger and better prepared than we were at regionals."

He is expecting Bay of Plenty to play a similar game to his troops and agreed the host province boasted more experience than Hawke's Bay.

Heather believed Auckland will be a bigger team than his and the aim will be to move them around.

When quizzed if any of his players could secure higher honours in the future, Heather said he predicted a big future for 19-year-old halfback Felicity Powdrell of the Napier Technical club.

Hawke's Bay's pool draw for tomorrow is:
11.05am v Wellington; 2.35pm v Bay of Plenty; 4.55pm v Auckland.
The Hawke's Bay team is:
Laurae Blake, Nina Pineaha-Hyslop, Teilah Ferguson, Shaylee Tipiwai, Hope Hakopa, Felicity Powdrell, Niamh Jefferson, Trisha Hina, Kate Bradshaw, Sulieti Halafihi, Abbey Collier, Jaimee Edwards.