‘Emotional, aggressive’ Black Fern back on track

‘‘If I can find myself in a ruck, then happy days.’’ Kendra Reynolds

On a challenging northern tour, teary-eyed Kendra Reynolds provided one of its lighter moments when she started sobbing as her name was read out to confirm a treasured test debut.

The Bay of Plenty loose forward came off the bench for only 10minutes in last November’s tour finale against France in Castres, which ended in a fourth successive defeat (29-7) for the Black Ferns on their difficult European trip.

However, the occasion was a dream for the 29-year-old, who was first inspired to play for her country through her cousin, Kellie Kiwi, an eight-test Black Ferns halfback who was part of the first of their five Rugby World Cup victories in the Netherlands in 1998.

‘‘You always hoped, but many times over the last 10 years, I had given up but got back on track,’’ Reynolds said.

‘‘If that was going to be my first and last time in the jersey, I was going to have fun.’’

That goes some way to explaining the uncontrollable tears ahead of her debut, and a jump for joy to offset the emotion, as Reynolds had been battling away for years in grassroots with her Rangiuru club and the Farah Palmer Cup and fought back from injuries.

‘‘I’m an incredibly emotional person. I’m also just as aggressive as I am a crier,’’ Reynolds said. ‘‘It sums up the amount of hard work that I’ve put in.’’

Reynolds was named in the Black Ferns’ World Cup squad after playing a further five tests since June, with three starts against Australia (twice) and the United States.

She scored a memorable first test try against the United States in Whangārei when she fended one tackler and dashed clear, sparking jubilant celebrations amongst her team-mates.

‘‘I like all the collisions and contact areas. That’s where I have the most fun,’’ Reynolds said.

‘‘If I can find myself in a ruck, then happy days. I have put a big, old fend on people a couple of times. I love all the close-quarter combat areas.’’

With an injury cloud hanging over fellow openside flanker and cocaptain Kennedy Simon (calf) ahead of next Saturday’s World Cup opener against Australia at Eden Park, she could make the 23 for the biggest women’s rugby match to be played in New Zealand (so far) when attendance records will be smashed.

Reynolds’ rugby journey started as a 13-year-old at Te Puke High School and such was her love for the game, she became the women’s rugby development manager for Bay of Plenty, a role she left only recently to pursue her playing career full-time. That job required Reynolds to support clubs and communities across the region and increase participation opportunities and support for the women’s game at all levels.

‘‘When I left school, there was no women’s club rugby in the Bay,’’ she said.

‘‘Me and a few other girls who wanted to continue our careers would drive over to Hamilton three times a week and play for Varsity [the Waikato University club].’’

Reynolds made Waikato’s provincial team and alternated between there and Bay of Plenty for the Farah Palmer Cup, but she has committed to Bay of Plenty since and first made the Black Ferns in 2020.

On a full-time contract for the first time in 2022, she shifted south to play for Matatū to get more playing time for the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki in March.

‘‘I’ve done the whole working 40-hour weeks and training as much as everyone for a long time. I feel like I’m still in the honeymoon phase. I’m lucky because my life made it easy to transition to full-time athlete.

‘‘I can’t put it into words how excited I am and how grateful I amto be here.’’