Black Ferns star Kennedy Tukuafu on her five-day wedding rush — Lockerroom

Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Simon and Super Rugby star Solomone Tukuafu married quickly by Lake Karapiro. Photo / Sacha Kahaki, Woman's Day

Some people make long lists of things they want to do. When my partner Solly and I decided we wanted to get married, just five days before I flew out on tour with the Black Ferns and he flew out to play for Biarritz, I said, “Well, how many guests should we have?”

We started making a long list of all the people we wanted at our wedding. It was too much. And then I didn’t know who to take out. So I said, let’s just do it with my granddad Taku and your mum, and we both liked the idea.

And so I just put a rush on everything. It was a five-day rollercoaster, just trying to find a dress and get everything sorted. I thought I’d found the dress, and then I went back and the lady said, “Did you try this one?”

And the dress I tried on last was the one — so I quickly bought that, bought some heels, went and bought a wedding band for Solly. And next minute, I’m getting my makeup done!

We married on the Sunday. A few days later the Black Ferns were assembling to fly out to play England at Twickenham. It was only then that one of my team and her parents spotted the ring on my finger.

It was my Waikato hub that I told first. So pretty much all my close friends, and they were just surprised, and they all gave me a hug — and you know, a couple of curse words! But they totally understood, that me and Solly were going to be apart for a long time, and it would be hard to find the time.

We had been engaged for three years and then to pull together the wedding in five days — it was like, why didn’t we do this sooner? And also, man, we can do anything we set our mind to, obviously!

Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) in action against France last year. Photo / Photosport

So, like my guest list, my list of hopes and dreams for 2025 is pretty short.

First, for ourselves … I’m over here in Biarritz with Solly now. We’re both 28 now, so we need to put in place something to secure our incomes after sports, and set up a really successful future for our children. In Biarritz, I believe there is a market for a recovery studio. There’s no saunas, hot pools, cold plunge. So that would be my personal dream for the near future.

In terms of my hopes for the wider community, I’m looking forward to coming home, to reintegrate myself back into my team, but also I’m just so keen on trying to find ways to engage our community bit more.

It’s something that weighs heavy on my mind.

When I was a kid, I grew up with my grandparents. That’s just where I wanted to be. So every time I would leave my grandparents, I’d cry for hours. And then my nan passed away when I was 10, so I just had my granddad and we were inseparable.

I was real timid. I just played sport. I didn’t want attention, I didn’t like public speaking.

As a young kid, I had so many role models. Before rugby, I was looking up to netball players like Casey Williams and Leana de Bruin. They would speak so elegantly and so confidently, they were tall, and just so fierce, and I never saw myself in that light.

Rugby changed everything for me. I didn’t pick up rugby until I was 14. I was able to blow off some steam, you know, and tackling was my favourite thing to do. So it was where I could just let it all out — and be seen.

And then I actually was named captain for our 15s team in Year 12 of Hamilton Girls’ High. And that was huge — I never thought that I could be a leader, somebody that people have to look to, to make decisions. Or have a conversation with the coach, to be the middle-man. And my confidence grew from there, just slightly.

It was Crystal Kaua, who was my high school coach and then my Chiefs Manawa coach, who was the first person who helped me get on this pathway and stay on it. She’d pick me up for training or give me her old boots.

So that’s something I’d like to do for other young girls starting out, either to ignite their flame or nurture it. I want to get my Level 1 Coaching this year, try to fit that in somewhere between rugby. Because I would love to be somebody’s Crystal Kaua.

It’s funny, but this year we went back to Hamilton Girls’ High. And we were with this group of girls, and you know, passing the ball around, just having small chat. And half of them played rugby, and half of them played league.

So my advice to a young 14-year-old would be to find something you enjoy. And you know, working hard is obviously not easy all the time, because life and things pop up, but always be kind to yourself. If you have a good mindset and don’t give up, then you know you can achieve anything.

My hope for the wider community comes out of everything that’s been happening in New Zealand at the moment, over the Treaty Principles Bill. And you’ve seen everybody come together in some capacity.

It’s really nice to see that we can all get together and support one another, and it would be nice if we could see that more often throughout our community — whether it be in rugby or just finding time to be around each other and give the community something to celebrate.

For her leadership of the Chiefs Manawa and co-captaincy of the Black Ferns, Kennedy Tukuafu (née Simon) was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024.

This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.