Sevens: Ferguson has new role with Bay

Hawke's Bay Sevens women's team hooker Teilah Ferguson sprints away from the defence during training this week. Photo/Paul Taylor

Teilah Ferguson has been given a new job with the Hawke's Bay Sevens women's team but is far from fazed.

A second-season player in the Maurice Trapp Group Hawke's Bay side which will be one of 12 women's teams at this weekend's TECT Nationals in Tauranga, Ferguson will play hooker instead of the wing role she had last summer.

"Either way there's not much difference ... we're all doing the same thing," Ferguson said.

The daughter of fellow team member, former Aotearoa Maori Sevens and New Zealand touch star Julie Ferguson-Ngawaka - who was the Bay's best player at last summer's nationals - Ferguson had two weeks before the December 1 Central Regional tournament in Levin after returning from her first year of studying food science and psychology at Otago University to learn her new role. While she coped admirably as Hawke's Bay finished third Ferguson, 18, said the fortnight since the Levin trip has proved beneficial to her and the team.

"We've only been doing defence because that let us down last season when we finished 11th. We've put the mahi in and now I can't wait to see how we go."

Ferguson reckoned first-season team manager Sarah Kay was being too conservative with her top-10 finish goal.

"That's too safe. We can go higher than that ... we're looking pretty good and are a lot fitter than last year," Ferguson said.

She agreed having the services of Black Ferns pivot Krysten Cottrell, who helped Manawatu win four national sevens titles before linking back up with her home province, has been a huge plus to the Daniel Rodden-coached outfit.

"Krysten has had so much input. She has regularly stopped us during training sessions to tell us what to do."

While first-year university students can often find keeping their fitness levels up tough when having to cope with increased study commitments, former Napier Napier Girls' High School student Ferguson said this wasn't a challenge for her. She spent the winter playing rugby for the Alhambra Union club.

"We stayed only a minute's walk from the club so a mate and I were able to train regularly in the club's gym," Ferguson explained.

Although Ferguson is still unsure where she will go after her four years of study in Dunedin ends, she knows about the money available on the women's rugby scene these days.

"If I could get my fitness up I could focus on sevens. But I also enjoy 15s ... both have amazing opportunities."

Black Ferns Sevens women's captain Sarah Goss will again turn out for Manawatu who will aim for a fifth title. Hawke's Bay will meet Bay of Plenty at 10.25am, Waikato at 12.45pm and Tasman at 4.15pm in pool play today.

Hawke's Bay women's team: Shaylee Tipiwai (captain), Lara Kendrick, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Niamh Jefferson, Teilah Ferguson, Hanna Brough, Julie Ferguson-Ngawaka, Krysten Cottrell, Hope Hakopa, Cortez Te Pou, Anna Powdrell, Felicity Powdrell.
Coach: Daniel Rodden.
Assistant coach: Trent Boswell-Wakefield.
Manager: Sarah Kay.