Black Ferns captain Lesley Elder and her husband John Elder are expecting a baby. Photo / Andrew Warner
Black Ferns captain, the Women's Rugby Super Series title, Bay of Plenty Volcanix co-captain and Bay of Plenty Rugby Supreme Award winner - 2019 has been a massive year for Lesley Elder but she's not done yet.
When it comes to rugby, there are few things Lesley Elder did not achieve in 2019.
It's definitely been a big one for the talented athlete. She was named captain of the Black Ferns and led the side to Laurie O'Reilly Cup victory over Australia and the Women's Rugby Super Series title. She was also co-captain of the Bay of Plenty Volcanix and while injury limited her impact on the field, her leadership played a crucial part in their campaign.
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On top of all of that, she's thrown herself into growing the women's game in her role as the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union's women's player development manager.
However, it is off the field that Elder has announced what could be her most memorable achievement of the year; falling pregnant. In May 2020 she is going to be a mother.
"It's really exciting, me and my husband have been planning this for some time now. It was really, really good news and we're super excited," Elder says.
"It's been a long term plan, something we've been trying for a few years, so it's cool that it's finally happened."
She said when she was approached about being Black Ferns captain earlier this year she made it clear that she and her husband John Elder intended to start a family at the end of the season and had the full support of the coaching staff.
They could not have timed the pregnancy better - she plans to be back playing late next year and all going well will be fit and firing for the 2021 World Cup.
"I made it pretty clear, my intentions, when I was named captain. The head coach was fully aware of the plan and still chose to name me captain. For me, it was about being really transparent about those intentions.
"I didn't want to commit to something that might've been disrupted by falling pregnant but it worked out really well. It turned out I had that injury at the end of the international season which gave us some time to focus on us.
"The last couple of years have been pretty eventful, there have been a heap of different things that have happened. It's been exciting and challenging but through that I think I've had my most growth as a person, on and off the field."
Pregnancy, and its effects on the body, is a challenge unique to female athletes. Elder says, while there is still no real blueprint to suit everyone, she is confident she has the right people around her to ensure she does what is best for her child and to get back to her own best on the field.
"I've got plans in place to continue to stay in shape while I'm going through my pregnancy but also to ensure that I bounce back. My intention is to still come back and play the World Cup and I have some goals for when I want to return to rugby post-baby.
"It has come with some interesting challenges. We've had a lot of Black Fern mums but not a lot who have been on contract when they've fallen pregnant. That brings a bit of learning and New Zealand Rugby are happy to support me, it's just figuring out what that support looks like."
Their reactions made us feel really good and special. We know our baby will have 30 aunties wearing the black jersey.
She said her Black Ferns teammates were thrilled with the news, although some of the more observant already had an inkling.
"The team was really happy for me and John, they were very surprised. There were a couple of girls, especially from the Bay, who had guessed it because of the changes they'd seen in me.
"There were some girls who were crying and everyone was just super happy. It was just really cool to be able to share that news with them. It's a team that I really love and a lot of those girls I've been friends with for a long time and played rugby with for a long time.
"Their reactions made us feel really good and special. We know our baby will have 30 aunties wearing the black jersey."