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'He could just be normal': Black Ferns star discusses King Charles hug

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Katelyn Vahaakolo of New Zealand runs with the ball during the Women's International Test between England Red Roses and New Zealand Black Ferns at Allianz Stadium on September 14, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)

New Zealand star Katelyn Vahaakolo joked that King Charles III “really needed that hug” as she detailed the moment the Black Ferns embraced the 75-year-old Monarch this week.

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The Black Ferns met the King at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday as they prepared for their Test against England at Allianz Stadium, and Vahaakolo’s fellow winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga took the opportunity to ask him for a hug.

“A hug? Why not,” King Charles responded before being enveloped by the players.

Speaking after New Zealand’s 24-12 defeat to the Red Roses on Saturday, in which she scored both of her side’s two tries, Vahaakolo praised Leti-I’iga for having the courage to ask the question.

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“That’s just her natural personality,” she said. “But I actually think the King really needed that hug.

“Just his smile was so genuine and I’m glad we have team-mates like her, who can, I guess, make it a bit more chill.

“I guess he probably felt like he could just be normal and yeah, I thought that was really cool.”

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Vahaakolo took her Test tally to 15 tries in only 11 matches with a second-half double at the newly renamed Allianz Stadium in south-west London.

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Although the visitors dominated possession and territory for large periods, the winger’s intervention came too late as England were already 24 points to the good by the time she crossed the whitewash for the first time.

However, despite admitting that the Black Ferns are “sore losers”, Vahaakolo was delighted with the way that her team-mates played against the world’s number one team and believes they have improved in the 10 months since they lost 33-12 against the same opposition in Auckland.

“I think that we’ve grown so much as a team from the last time versus England and it was really cool to see that growth transfer onto the field,” Vahaakolo said.

“I think in the first half we could have been a bit more, I guess, intentional with our intensity. They got a few points in and I think that kind of put us on the back burner.

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“But in the second half I really thought we came out way more dominant. We really lifted our tempo. So, even though we lost, I’m very, very proud of our team.”

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1 Comment
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SteveD 93 days ago

Ooh, no, no, no! You mustn't dare touch the monarch. It's just not on. I can imagine the bowers and scrapers of the so-called 'royal household' would have been having apoplectic fits that a colonial woman would dare do that!


Well done, love!!

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JW 5 hours ago
‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

Yep, that's exactly what I want.

Glasgow won the URC and Edinburgh finished 16th, but Scotland won the six nations, Edinburgh would qualify for the Champions Cup under your system.

It's 'or'. If Glasgow won the URC or Scotland won the six nations. If one of those happens I believe it will (or should) be because the league is in a strong place, and that if a Scotland side can do that, there next best club team should be allowed to reach for the same and that would better serve the advancement of the game.


Now, of course picking a two team league like Scotland is the extreme case of your argument, but I'm happy for you to make it. First, Edinbourgh are a good mid table team, so they are deserving, as my concept would have predicted, of the opportunity to show can step up. Second, you can't be making a serious case that Gloucester are better based on beating them, surely. You need to read Nicks latest article on SA for a current perspective on road teams in the EPCR. Christ, you can even follow Gloucester and look at the team they put out the following week to know that those games are meaningless.


More importantly, third. Glasgow are in a league/pool with Italy, So the next team to be given a spot in my technically imperfect concept would be Benneton. To be fair to my idea that's still in it's infancy, I haven't given any thought to those 'two team' leagues/countries yet, and I'm not about to 😋

They would be arguably worse if they didn't win the Challenge Cup.

Incorrect. You aren't obviously familiar with knockout football Finn, it's a 'one off' game. But in any case, that's not your argument. You're trying to suggest they're not better than the fourth ranked team in the Challenge Cup that hasn't already qualified in their own league, so that could be including quarter finalists. I have already given you an example of a team that is the first to get knocked out by the champions not getting a fair ranking to a team that loses to one of the worst of the semi final teams (for example).

Sharks are better

There is just so much wrong with your view here. First, the team that you are knocking out for this, are the Stormers, who weren't even in the Challenge Cup. They were the 7th ranked team in the Champions Cup. I've also already said there is good precedent to allow someone outside the league table who was heavily impacted early in the season by injury to get through by winning Challenge Cup. You've also lost the argument that Sharks qualify as the third (their two best are in my league qualification system) South African team (because a SAn team won the CC, it just happened to be them) in my system. I'm doubt that's the last of reasons to be found either.


Your system doesn't account for performance or changes in their domestic leagues models, and rely's heavily on an imperfect and less effective 'winner takes all' model.

Giving more incentives to do well in the Challenge Cup will make people take it more seriously. My system does that and yours doesn't.

No your systems doesn't. Not all the time/circumstances. You literally just quoted me describing how they aren't going to care about Challenge Cup if they are already qualifying through league performance. They are also not going to hinder their chance at high seed in the league and knockout matches, for the pointless prestige of the Challenge Cup.


My idea fixes this by the suggesting that say a South African or Irish side would actually still have some desire to win one of their own sides a qualification spot if they win the Challenge Cup though. I'll admit, its not the strongest incentive, but it is better than your nothing. I repeat though, if your not balance entries, or just my assignment, then obviously winning the Challenge Cup should get you through, but your idea of 4th place getting in a 20 team EPCR? Cant you see the difference lol


Not even going to bother finishing that last paragraph. 8 of 10 is not an equal share.

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