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'I'm not retiring suckers!': How Kendra Cocksedge reacted to winning the World Cup

Kendra Cocksedge kisses the World Cup after the Black Ferns' victory. Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images

Kendra Cocksedge admits the joy in the moment her Black Ferns won the World Cup had her reconsidering her plans to retire, but ultimately the Black Ferns’ most-capped-ever player finds herself satisfied with her career and in a good space to leave her playing days behind.

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Cocksedge was a special guest on New Zealand Rugby’s ASB Awards show where she and her co-captain, Kennedy Simon, accepted the award of New Zealand Team of the Year on behalf of the Black Ferns squad.

She was asked if what the Black Ferns accomplished had her flirting with the idea of extending her playing career.

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“It’s funny you say that,” Cockedge replied. “After the final whistle when we were celebrating, I said to the girls ‘I’m not retiring suckers!’

“But nah, I’m really content with my decision, it’s a fairytale ending for me and I guess as a player who’s been around a long time, it’s the way you want to end your career and I’m pretty happy with that.”

Safe to say winning a World Cup on home soil in front of a record number of fans certainly would qualify as a “fairytale ending” in any athletes’ book.

Cocksedge then reflected on her most proud achievements in the Black jersey and her humility again shone through, as she reffered not to her all time points record, or her all time caps record, or three World Cup victories, but to the evolution of women’s rugby.

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“I think it’s probably just the growth of the game, if you can’t see her, you can’t be her. That’s been massive for me coming through the years of playing and we’ve got young girls and young boys watching us throughout the World Cup and you got young boys now that want to be Black Ferns, you’ve got young girls who know who you are, know your name when you’re walking down the street and I think that’s what’s really special about this momentum and I’m so excited to see where it goes in the next two to three years.”

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Cocksedge now has a role working as Women’s Rugby Development Manager at New Zealand Rugby, where she caters to the Canterbury region.

Whether or not that satisfies the 34-year-old’s competitive spirit is yet to be seen; rumours are circulating that a coaching role could be on the cards in the near future. A rumour Cocksedge addressed with a smile.

“Yea maybe, maybe. Watch this space.”

Cocksedge’s halves partner and co-captain Ruahei Demant cleaned house at the awards show, taking home Maori Player of the Year, Black Ferns Player of the Year and Player of the Year in addition to her side winning New Zealand Team of the Year.

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Cocksedge had this to say of her teammate:

“She’s a great person, that’s what it comes down to, she’s a great leader, she’s very humble in everything she does on and off the field. The players really respect her, when she speaks, everyone just listens, and she is very deserving of the player of the year award.”

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H
Hellhound 15 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 31 minutes ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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