Martin Guptill and Laura McGoldrick during the NZ Cricket Awards held at the Langham Hotel. Photo / Dean Purcell
Martin Guptill and Laura McGoldrick during the NZ Cricket Awards held at the Langham Hotel. Photo / Dean Purcell
Brendon McCullum's Black Caps have captured Kiwis' hearts on their rampant path to the Cricket World Cup quarter-final against the West Indies in Wellington today.
But the biggest cheers our sporting heroes are receiving come from their nearest and dearest, many of whom have formed a travelling band of supporters.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi's wife, Shaan, said the partners and children of the boys in black had become a "cricketing family" over the past month.
"These are our guys and this is their passion. And they've all been on fire so it's cool to be a part of it," she told the Herald on Sunday.
Shaan, like her husband, was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia as a child, where 33-year-old Luke forged a successful career playing for Western Australia before representing Australia at Twenty20 and one-day international level.
But the Ronchis always felt the call of their homeland.
"It didn't feel alien when came back here. It felt like we'd been on a long holiday and we'd come home. It was lovely," the 28-year-old said.
Growing up, Shaan thought cricket was "one of the most boring games of sport I'd ever watched in my life". So when she met Luke 10 years ago he had to play his cards right.
"When Luke and I first were going out he didn't really mention too much about it, I think he knew it would be quite a turnoff for me."
But the hard-hitting right hander quickly won her over to cricket with his on-field fireworks.
She revealed the Black Caps' pulsating win over Australia in World Cup pool-play had been the highlight of her cricket viewing.
"Oh my gosh, to be honest I nearly spewed," she said. "But Kane [Williamson] to the rescue. I've never yelled so much or high-fived so many strangers in my life.
"I was like, 'Yeah, 'd'ya see that?' to the Aussies."
The couple have two children, Indi, who turns 2 in May, and Brody, who will be 5 in May.
Shaan often watched the action with other Black Caps' wives and partners, including McCullum's wife Elissa, Martin Guptill's wife Laura McGoldrick, Mitchell McClenaghan's girlfriend Renee Brown and coach Mike Hesson's wife, Kate.
"It's a great group of women. And Luke says the same about the guys, it's a really great group of guys, so it's a lot of fun."
