King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours 2023: Black Ferns Kennedy Simon and Ruahei Demant

Black Ferns co-captains Ruahei Demant (left) and Kennedy Simon have been honoured. Photo / Photosport

Hoisting the Rugby World Cup on home soil is a feeling Black Ferns loose forward Kennedy Simon won’t soon forget. But it is the support of her co-captain Ruahei Demant during that tournament that springs to her mind when asked about the most memorable moments of her rugby career.

Simon missed the first three weeks of the tournament due to injury, returning in the side’s 55-3 triumph over Wales in Whangarei and providing impact from the bench in each of the side’s knockout games on their way to a memorable title win.

When reflecting on that campaign, it was the respect she got from her co-captain that Simon highlighted.

“Every week Ruahei would look at me and ask. She never forgot about me. No matter how well she went, no matter how well our team was doing, she would always look to me,” Simon told the Herald.

“When I first came back to play in the quarter-final against Wales, she was like ‘Kenny I want you to run us out first’. This lady who can just do no wrong, she was such an incredible leader for our team, wanted me to run out first. Little things like that, and every time we had a team huddle she’d look to me to say something. To have a leader like Ruahei, it’s been a real pleasure.”

Now, for services to rugby, both Simon and Demant have been acknowledged with King’s Birthday Honours, becoming members of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Both players have been consistent fixtures in the Black Ferns squad since making their debuts and have been with the side through lows and highs; the World Cup triumph in Auckland last year coming off the back of a 2021 northern tour in which they lost all four tests they played.

They have both been involved in the game at a high level since making their provincial debuts in 2013 – Simon for Waikato and Demant for Auckland – and have gone on to play leading roles in Super Rugby Aupiki.

In 2021, Simon was named the Black Ferns Player of the Year, while Demant picked up the title of World Rugby Player of the Year following her impressive 2022 season.

They were joined in the King’s Birthday Honours list by coach Wayne Smith, who was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

“It was such an incredible time and not just because of what we were able to do on the field but also the support we managed to rally from our nation,” Simon said of last year’s tournament.

“It was a really special time and, fast-forward to now, we’re looking at playing in our first test against the Aussies next month. That’s all happened pretty quickly.”

She added it had been rewarding to see the growth of the women’s game in recent years, particularly following the success of the home World Cup.

“It’s the women who all paved the way for us, we always recognise that and put it on our wall. It’s just surreal to see little girls, or clubs who have never had enough numbers to have a full girls’ team to now being able to field two teams. The stories are incredible and it’s also pretty cool that a lot of our girls love service. You see lots of the Black Ferns giving back to the community by being coaches of young girls’ teams or just doing stuff out and about in the community.

“It’s an amazing time to be playing rugby.”