Kennedy Simon was named Black Ferns player of the year in 2021. Photo / Photosport
Kennedy Simon was named Black Ferns player of the year in 2021. Photo / Photosport
Kennedy Simon sat on the floor of the Black Ferns dojo in Christchurch; pain coursing through her knee as a wave of emotion overcame her.
It was one of the team's first sessions of the year, and they were doing a wrestling drill on the jiu-jitsu mats. Splitting into groupsof two, the goal was to out-grapple your partner to get double underhooks (both arms under your partner's armpits). Simon was working with fellow loose forward Kendra Reynolds, and as they tussled, another group clattered into them.
Simon was taken out from the side at the knee; the joint bending in an unnatural way. The 2021 Black Ferns player of the year left the room with a dislocated patella, torn calf muscle, ruptured medial collateral ligament, and damage to her posterior cruciate ligament.
"Two other girls were just fighting that hard to get under, they came across the room and took me out – on accident; a pure, freak accident," she recalls.
"It was pretty surreal. I was just trying to find my position in the team, then when it happened, I sat there, the pain started to go away and I just thought 'oh no'. I was flooded with emotions like 'maybe this is not my year'."
With the team preparing for a World Cup defence on home soil later in the year, Simon had her sights set on playing a part in that campaign, but knew a severe knee injury could end those plans before they even got a chance to be set in motion.
After a visit to a surgeon, it was recommended that Simon not have surgery on the injuries, but instead take the conservative approach and let it heal naturally; a process that would take months from her season.
Fifteen weeks later, Simon returned to the Black Ferns.
"It was pretty good and my knee is all put back together now. It's been some journey," Simon says of her recovery.
"I was just really lucky that we had the new structure and I was able to get all that support packed in behind me and ensure that I came back ready. It did definitely play a big role in my readiness and where I am now."
Kennedy Simon made her return for the Black Ferns against Australia in late August. Photo / Photosport
The 25-year-old was called back into the team for the Laurie O'Reilly Trophy series against Australia in August. After getting the call confirming her position in the squad, the phone rang again. This time, it was Black Ferns captain Ruahei Demant, asking if Simon was interested in sharing the load.
"I just didn't believe it. I thought she was joking," she says.
Simon returned to the pitch in the side's 52-5 win over Australia in Christchurch, putting in a strong 80-minute performance in which had the second-most carries in the team (14), and made the third-most tackles (seven).
While an unrelated lower leg injury ruled her out of contention for the Black Ferns test against Japan last weekend, Simon is expected to be healthy for the team's World Cup opener against Australia next week.
The match will be a milestone for the Black Ferns, who have been in a unique situation of having a new coaching staff take the reins just months out from the tournament. Director of rugby Wayne Smith and his team of gun coaches only took the task of leading the Black Ferns to the World Cup in April, after the resignation of former coach Glenn Moore following a review into the culture and environment of the team
With new minds at the helm, a lot of players have come in and out of the environment this year, with Smith wanting to get a look at all his options before he named his 32-strong World Cup squad.
Reflecting on the year so far, Simon says it has been an interesting campaign, and while the goings on about the team were hard to ignore, one thing always brings the team's focus back to where it needed to be.
"With all the noise, it's really unique for us because we've got such a great legacy behind the black jersey. That's something we all love to reflect on; whenever things get tough, that's what we all touch on to bring us back to why we do it," she says.
"With the new coaching staff, they've been able to unlock a different side of everyone. Everyone turns up ready, sharp, knowing what they're doing, and anyone could slot into any which position and have a seamless transition.
"So, I think with all the noise in the background, the girls have really been able to come together and turn that into a positive situation."
