Busy sportswoman is hoping the New Zealand women's team can rectify their transtasman series loss of last year
More often than not, Carla Hohepa has an oval ball in her hands and a goal-line in sight, but she can be excused if she momentarily forgets what game she is playing.
As a tri-international, Hohepa has to adjust her thinking depending on just which form of football - rugby's
XV-a-side game, rugby sevens or touch - she is playing. One obvious difference: a touch ball is slightly smaller.
"I enjoy them all," said Hohepa as she and her New Zealand teammates took a lunch break from training this week. "They are all fun, but I have to remember the different moves, especially when I switch back to touch.
"I love to run, so the pace of sevens and touch suits me."
She is hoping that she and the rest of the New Zealand women's team can find their very best form at Trusts Stadium for the first test of their three-match transtasman touch series tomorrow.
In the inaugural series in Australia last year, New Zealand came a distant second winning only one game as the hosts took a clean sweep of the women's and mixed competitions. The men won their second match 9-8 but lost the series decider 5-2.
"Australia will be tough," said Hohepa, 24. "We have quite a new team this year."
Hohepa first played touch while at Te Awamutu College, admitting she quickly enjoyed the sport after being "too scared to play rugby". But while in teachers training college in Dunedin she was cajoled into playing the XV-a-side game. She quickly made her mark and after some NPC action made her international debut for the Black Ferns in 2007 against Australia.
After failing in her first bid to make the national sevens team, Hohepa was rewarded with an international call-up in 2006 and at the World Cup in Dubai last year - where Australia beat New Zealand 15-10 in the final (their only loss) - Hohepa was the tournament's top try-scorer.
While it makes for a hectic lifestyle, Hohepa, back doing relief teaching in Te Awamutu, has no plans to give any of her chosen sports away. "This year the Women's World Cup [rugby] will be played in England. I would love to go to that. After that I hope to go to the Touch World Cup, which will be played in Scotland next year."
Further down the track the speedy winger has her sights set on the 2016 Olympics when rugby sevens will be played for the first time. "I will be 31 by then, but I hope I'm still playing and have a chance to go. Playing at the Olympics would be great."
Hohepa is not the only player in the women's team to play internationally in the three disciplines. She and Renee Wickliffe were together in the rugby team that lost 10-3 to England in front of 12,500 at Twickenham in November. They were also in Dubai for the sevens and hope to return to London for this year's World Cup starting in August.
Before that, though, there is the more pressing challenge of New Zealand seeing off Australia in the touch series. Clearly the best two teams in the world - they are expecting between 18-20 countries at next year's World Cup - their transtasman rivalry will be as fierce as ever.
MATCH SCHEDULE
(All Trusts Stadium, Henderson)
TODAY:
Curtainraiser, Counties Manukau under-13 boys v Auckland under-13 boys 4pm.
Transtasman, round one -
Mixed 5pm; Women 6pm; Men 7pm.
TOMORROW
Transtasman, round two -
Mixed 5pm; Women 6pm; Men 7pm.
SUNDAY:
Curtainraiser, Manurewa High School v Macleans College 10am.
Transtasman, round three -
Mixed 11am; Women noon; Men 1pm.
Medal presentations, Prime Minister and Patron of Touch NZ, John Key, 2pm.
TOUCHING UP
A touch field is 70m x 50m.
There are two 20-minute halves with a two-minute halftime break.
A try is worth one point (ball must be grounded).
There are six players per team, on the field with eight [rolling] substitutes.
Possession turns over after six "touches".
A dropped ball (forward or back) results in an automatic turnover.
Three on-field referees control games.
