Sarah Hirini couldn’t help but cry as the Black Ferns Sevens got into position for a heartfelt haka last December. About eight months out from the Olympic Games in Paris, the injured captain had no choice but to say goodbye with so much uncertainty waiting in New Zealand.
Hirini wore a knee brace, had tears streaming down her face and watched on from a blue and black wheelchair as Portia Woodman-Wickliffe led the Kiwis through an emotional farewell. It was a moment Hirini would later describe as both “horrible” and “special.”
Woodman-Wickliffe was the first teammate to practically run over to Hirini for a kiss on the cheek and a long embrace afterwards. Fellow Tokyo Olympic gold medallists Stacey Waaka and Kelly Brazier were second and third, while the rest of the team waited for their turn.
New Zealand had fallen to arch-rivals Australia 26-19 in the Dubai Sevens Cup Final the night before, but the SVNS Series show had more to offer late in 2023 with Cape Town hosting the second leg of the season the following weekend.
The Black Ferns Sevens caught their 10-hour flight to South Africa while their inspirational leader went the other way. With a 17-hour trip to Auckland, followed by another flight down south to Tauranga, Hirini had far too much time to think about what had happened.
“It was just so horrible, and very special that they do the haka but you know what it’s for and I think that’s the hardest thing. They’re farewelling me to go home and have surgery and figure out if I’m going to try and make a bid for the Olympics or not,” Hirini said.
I just cried, cried for ages, probably a good hour even after they left and then you just feel lonely.
“Yeah, I just cried, cried for ages, probably a good hour even after they left and then you just feel lonely.
“There’s just a lot of time for thinking and I’m not so good at being by myself and thinking too much so it was a pretty horrible time. I know once I got home I kind of pushed quite a few people away. I just didn’t really want to talk about it.”
Only a few days earlier, Hirini had started the season as a heroine for the Black Ferns Sevens. New Zealand had their backs up against the ropes in a fight with newly-promoted South Africa, but she was the difference with an individual effort in the 14th minute to steal the win.
Hirini had told RugbyPass on that fateful December morning that they “didn’t play like New Zealand.” It was a nervy start from the defending overall series champions, so they looked to take it up a notch against Great Britain.
But that’s when disaster struck.
It was an improved, one-sided performance against the Brits, but a devastating knee injury to Hirini was the major talking point. New Zealand’s flag bearer from the Tokyo Games hobbled off the park and, after missing the third pool match against Fiji, was on crutches during the second and final day at The Sevens Stadium.
New Zealand Sevens later confirmed the extent of the injury.
“It’s pretty hard to comprehend, to be honest. Going down in Dubai, I’ve talked about it quite openly, I was like, ‘Holy, this is it.’ I’ve seen people go through ACLs, I’ve seen people go through big injuries and things like that and you don’t come back too fast from,” she explained.
“Probably in my head, (I was) already planning for what I was going to do now if that Olympic dream was over.
What I hung onto was this tiny little bit of hope that if I did everything right then I would have a potential opportunity of being ready to be selected.
“I got a little bit of a sniff of hope from our medical team once I arrived back and we went for our scans and stuff like that. That was what I hung onto was this tiny little bit of hope that if I did everything right then I would have a potential opportunity of being ready to be selected.
“Since that moment my whole life has been put into that.”
After that haka at Dubai International Airport, the cross-code sevens and 15s legend returned home to New Zealand and had surgery in Auckland. Hirini immediately got back to work with the goal of going to what would be her third Olympic Games a big motivator.
While the odds appeared to be stacked against the 31-year-old, Hirini wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Two physios came over to her house on the weekend just after the surgery and another special was over the next day.
Those appointments were important milestones, but they were just the beginning.
During the rehab process, Hirini worked with a physio named Peter who “was constantly giving me that confidence booster I needed.” Peter would film Hirni doing exercises, and later show her those clips to give the sevens ace confidence during moments of doubt.
Sevens star ➡️ star at number seven 🌟
Sarah Hirini has been sensational throughout #RWC2021 pic.twitter.com/foUT7bdRHZ
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 9, 2022
Hirini also turned to athletes from other codes who had experienced serious injuries their own, including New Zealand cricketer Kane Williamson. Williamson recovered from an ACL injury in five months to play at cricket’s 50-over World Cup last year.
“All of them had said ‘your body will be sweet at a point but your confidence levels could potentially be down so work on that.’
“I worked with our mental skills lady about that. We had like messaging so a lot of my messaging through people were they weren’t allowed to ask about my knee… we don’t have time for me to dwell. Only one person in my life in this team was allowed to ask how my knee is.
Stade de France will host what is set to be the biggest event in rugby sevens history. The 80,000 seat stadium is a modern-day Colosseum, and as last year’s Rugby World Cup showed, French fans know how to bring the noise.
“I thought at the time that to me sounds really rude, people are just trying to be nice but she was like, ‘Honestly, the more you get it, the harder it’s going to be to come back from if you’re constantly thinking about your knee.’
“Those little things are absolute gold.”
Hirini didn’t leave anything to chance during the recovery and it all paid off when New Zealand’s rugby sevens squads for Paris who announced on June 20. The Kiwi made the team.
Stade de France will host what is set to be the biggest event in rugby sevens history. The 80,000 seat stadium is a modern-day Colosseum, and as last year’s Rugby World Cup showed, French fans know how to bring the noise.
When the All Blacks played tournament hosts France in the opening match, Hirini was there. Now, the two-time Olympic medallist is about to play on that very same field while adding add to her own legacy.
“I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.
“Watching from the stadium was incredible and then thinking forward a year and being able to do that in a month’s time, that’s probably half the reason why I play – to play footy with your mates in front of our families on literally the biggest stage of my life.
“I’m so excited to represent New Zealand and do what we can to hopefully create history.”
Sarah Hirini is a legend of our game in NZ and no one would deserve a fairy tale ending to her career with her sisters than she. GOLD she deserves but as long as she makes the podium later this week with her team it would be awesome considering the pain and suffering she has had getting back in just six months . Best wishes both Men’s and Women’s teams to achieve their dreams!