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'We're ready to go to war': Leti-I'iga returns to the Black Ferns

Ayesha Leti-I'iga of New Zealand scores a try during the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final match between New Zealand and England at Eden Park on November 12, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The last time Ayesha Leti-I’iga played for the Black Ferns she scored the winning try in the Rugby World Cup final against England.

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Since that meritorious night on November 12, 2022, Leti-I’iga has battled a long-term injury and watched the Black Ferns struggle.

By contrast, the Red Roses have won 15 consecutive internationals, halfway to their own world record, which was snapped in the heartbreaking 34-31 defeat against New Zealand at Eden Park.

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“It’s crazy to think how long I was injured,” Leti-I’iga told RugbyPass.

“When I first got injured, I had a lot of negative thoughts. I was at the peak of my rugby and got injured. I’d never been injured!

“Honestly, I’ve learned so much about myself. It’s the break I didn’t know I needed.

“I’ve been on the go since I was 16. I learned how to look after my body better. I never thought I could be a coach, but I helped my club Ories, and loved it.

“I was more present at home and spent precious time with family and friends. I’ve even got a new fur baby, Maddix, a French Mastiff.”

In July 2023, Leti-I’iga ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in one of her knees during training for the Pacific Four Series.

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She’s been recalled to the Black Ferns for the one-off test against England at Twickenham on September 14 and for the WXV 1 series that follows.

The Black Ferns were third in WXV 1 last October and November following rare home defeats to France (17-18) and England (12-33). In May the Black Ferns were beaten for the first time in 17 internationals by WXV 1 hosts Canada in Christchurch.

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There were days when Performance coach Joel Marshall had to haul Leti-I’iga out of bed to rehab, but the 25-year-old Leti-I’iga insists she will recapture the magic of Rugby World Cup 2022.

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“Oh man, what a tour to return for. England at Twickenham will be massive. I feel like we’ve had a strong connection camp and prepared visually and physically for the challenge,” Leti-I’iga said.

“I’m excited by the challenge of getting my place back and proving I can compete at the highest level again.

“There’s a lot of competition on the wings. That’s exciting. Everyone brings different strengths. You can’t be complacent, we’re only caretakers for the jersey.”

With 73 tries in 76 first-class appearances, including 13 tries in 21 tests, it was inevitable Leti-I’iga would be recalled for national duties as soon as possible Still, she was keen to prove her salt.

Despite reservations from Black Ferns selectors, Leti-I’iga played three club games for Ories boosting her try-scoring tally to a staggering 194 in 80 appearances.

In the Tia Passi Memorial Cup final against unbeaten Petone, Leti-I’iga scored three tries, her 31st hat-trick for Ories.

“I pushed to play club, I love Ories and wanted to help my club while testing my knee,” Leti-I’iga said.

“I had limited minutes in the semi and felt alight. The final went for 100 minutes. Well, mine went for 90 because I got yellow-carded. We drew 24-24 with Petone. Man, what a game. We’d be still going I reckon.”

Leti-I’iga scored two solo tries from past halfway but was riled up by the tenacious villagers.

“I got punched in the ruck when the ref wasn’t looking. I was like, ‘Hey you can do that,’ and punched back. I shouldn’t have done that. Of course, I got caught, I’m a Black Fern,” Leti-I’iga roared with laughter.

Eruptions of laughter are common around Leti-I’iga, a stark contrast with the almost mute silence of the past. The humble Leti-I’iga really found her voice under Sir Wayne Smith at the Rugby World Cup.

“Smithy said the biggest difference between boys and girls is that girls have to feel good to play good; boys have to play good to feel good.

“On the bus to games, we blast our music and have fun. The boys are different. They’re silent. Smithy said he’d take his car to the games we’re so loud but he had to adapt to us.

“I’m someone who likes to have fun. I struggle when everything is a bit too serious.

“I haven’t been in the new environment for long but the connection with the girls is strong and we’re ready to go to war.”

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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