The Star: January 10, 2019

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16 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Our People Thursday January 10 2019 The Star Kendra Cocksedge Top Black Fern at home in Kendra Cocksedge debuted for the Black Ferns in 2007 at age 19. Since then the halfback has gone on to win two Women’s Rugby World Cups and a Rugby World Cup Sevens title. Sophie Cornish talks to her about being named New Zealand Rugby women’s player of the year and winning the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial trophy What was it like to be named player of the year? Is it your biggest achievement to date? It was a pretty unreal moment, obviously I didn’t think I would ever win it. It was a huge achievement for me. I was also lucky enough in 2015 to win World Rugby women’s player of the year also, so that’s obviously in the mix too. But winning the Kelvin Tremain to me, being the first female in history, was a pretty special time. I had no idea about it. I knew I had been nominated but I didn’t think I would ever win it because a female never had before. To hear my name be called out, I was completely stunned and speechless and very overwhelmed about it all afterwards. Take me back to when it all began, when did you first become interested in rugby? I was four-years-old when I first started playing rugby. I played up through with the boys until I was year 9, then I played for the New Plymouth Girls’ High School XV. Then I played representative school girls for Taranaki and then Hurricanes secondary schools. Then I moved to Christchurch in 2007 on a cricket scholarship at Lincoln University. I studied a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Management. I played rugby for them as well, and then that year – 2007 – was when BREAK: Kendra Cocksedge on attack during the Black Ferns match against France in November at Toulon. PHOTO: CHARLIE CROWHURST/GETTY IMAGES I made the Black Ferns at age 19. Then everything has gone from there. When I was young I used to watch the All Blacks and absolutely loved it. I went down to rugby training with some family friends one day and I picked up a rugby ball and never looked back. I loved every minute. It was touch to start with, then I went in to tackle at age eight or nine. I played with the boys, which was cool. I’m from a small community up in Taranaki and the boys were like brothers to me; they looked out for me and protected me. What was it like growing up in New Plymouth and how was making the move to Canterbury? I was 18 and leaving home, it was kind of scary at the time. I’m glad I made the move, if I was still back there the rugby wouldn’t be the same and I wouldn’t be where I am today. It was a last minute decision in year 13 doing exams and stuff, thinking about what I wanted to do in the next year and I applied for the scholarship and it took me to Lincoln. I always wanted to study something in sport. Lincoln was really good with me making the Black Ferns in 2007, they were really supportive, which is always cool. What do you do outside of playing rugby, do you work? I work full-time for New Zealand Rugby. My job is the women’s rugby development manager. I look after the whole Crusaders region. My job is to grow women’s and girls rugby. It’s quite cool to give these young girls the opportunity to play with girls, whereas I didn’t really get to do that. My job is to get provincial unions to get all-girls grades and all-girls teams so they can play against each other. I have been working there for about three years since January. It’s more acceptable now for girls to play, compared to when I started. It was a bit like ‘girls shouldn’t play rugby’, but I was always thankful to my parents for letting me play. It’s okay to play now and that’s what’s cool. Sevens being in the Olympics has helped a lot, young girls now have role models to look up to that they see on the world stage. There is a lot more exposure around it. What are some of your other hobbies? I like doing a bit of mountain biking and hanging out with family and friends and relaxing, enjoying the beach. Obviously, growing up in Taranaki, you have the beach at your front door and I was always going to the beach. I don’t do much cricket now, but I am playing in the Black Clash cricket game this summer. I need to do some training for it because I haven’t picked up a bat for a long time, or a cricket ball even. I was a bit of an all-rounder, a mid-order batter and an opening bowler. I’ll be in team rugby. What has been the highlight of your sporting career so far? It’s a tough one, you love every moment in any jersey, whether it be provincial or the silver fern on your chest. Probably winning World Cups, I have won two out of three that I have been to. It’s hard to pinpoint just one moment, though. With our Canterbury women’s team we won the title back-to-back, so that was pretty special for us. Do you have any standout funny moments in your rugby career? I had one when I debuted for the Black Ferns in Wanganui.
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday January 10 2019 17 Crusaders country There was about 4min to go and I got on the field and I put the ball in the wrong side of the scrum. I had a mind-blank. I was very nervous on debut, we had just sung the anthem, something I had never done before. It was emotional and then I just put the ball in the wrong side of the scrum. It was something I had never done before but just happened to do it when I was on debut. We were winning by a few points and I think my teammates didn’t want to be mean to me so they didn’t tease me. It’s never happened again and it never will. Do you have a strict nutrition and training regime? We tend to all want to eat healthy when you are doing training and playing, as you tend to perform better. There are some of us who are pretty good with that and others have nutrition guidelines in terms of what they are eating. A majority of the team has no strict rules, it’s just everything in moderation. During the season, we do something every day, some days are for recovery. You have to train before work and get up early around 5.30 then go to work, then train at night and get home around 8-8.30. It’s very busy but I love it. How do you feel about the pay you get? Do you think it is fair you have to work full-time when the equivalent men’s players don’t have to? I don’t think it is unfair. We are making progress, we on contract now and that’s a start. We can only move forward from that now. Until we get more exposure from the media, more bums on seats at games, and more sponsors and all that kind of stuff, then we can move forward from there. But at the moment, that’s not the case and there will be more money there in the future. A lot has changed since I got into the Black Ferns team in 2007, so that’s been great and I am grateful from where we have come from and where we are going to. The older girls who played back in the day have paved the way for us. Looking forward to the future, what are your plans? It has motivated me to work harder. When you get awards like that, it means you need to train harder. I am on 47 caps for the Black Ferns and I want to get to 50. I want to get there this year, so that’s motivating me to train hard and keep on top of my game. The only other person to get 50 caps is the captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili, who is now retired. She’s the only one. If that was to happen, I would be the second woman. I’m going to keep going until my body tells me not to. I want to make the team this year, get 50 caps, then decide whether I want to play the next World Cup in New Zealand in 2020. Are you married or do you have a partner? What is your family like? Not at the moment, it’s me, myself and I. I have three sisters, along with my mum and dad. I have been spending a lot of time with them over the holidays. I’ve got a really good group of friends and great flatmates who look after me. WINNER: Kendra Cocksedge with her New Zealand Rugby women’s player of the year trophy at the ASB Rugby Awards last month. PHOTO: HANNAH PETERS/ GETTY IMAGES FOR NZRU TITLE-HOLDERS: Kendra Cocksedge (right) celebrates winning the Farah Palmer Cup with Canterbury teammates Nina Poletti, Olivia McGoverne and head coach Kieran Kite after beating Counties Manukau in October. PHOTO: KAI SCHWOERER/GETTY IMAGES
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The Star: January 10, 2019

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