Former Otautau resident Jacqui Stewart (nee Apiata) has been officially capped as a Black Fern in a reunion dinner held in Auckland last week.

The event brought together 130 former Black Ferns, including those from the first official national women's rugby team that played the Pacific Coast Grizzlies at Christchurch's Lancaster Park in 1989. 

Forty-six Black Ferns were capped, with Jacqui Stewart being given the number one cap. Mrs Stewart played in the first game against the Pacific Coast Grizzlies and played her last game against Australia in 1994. 

The former first-five said it was "a little bit special" receiving the cap of being a Black Fern, even though the term wasn't used during the times she played.

"The label 'Black Fern' was (first used) for the 1998 team... I've never felt that that was my name or title, but now I can. It's quite an honour."

Mrs Stewart grew up in Otautau, attending Otautau School and Central Southland College before moving to study at Christchurch. However, rugby wasn't the first sport she picked when growing up.

Mrs Stewart said growing up she played netball and other traditional girls sports, but rugby came about at university playing in the Crusadettes team under the coaching of Laurence 'Laurie' O'Rielly.

"He was amazing. After I finished with Canterbury playing netball next minute I was running around playing rugby, and that's how I learned to play.

"With Laurie, he picked the position and I just played where I was told to play. I loved it."

Mrs Stewart said over the years the players had become faster, fitter and more agile but "the basics of the game are still there".

"Being that I'm getting old, it's looking a lot faster... it's evolved into a faster game."

As part of the national team, Mrs Stewart got to play rugby all over the world including places like Paris, the United States, England, Wales, France, Italy and Spain.

"If it wasn't for rugby I wouldn't have got to travel overseas. Those opportunities wouldn't have been there if I stayed with netball."

Members of the team based in Christchurch meet up often and still have that camaraderie they experienced during their playing days.

"It's like we've never been apart," she said.

Mrs Stewart said she received the number one cap because during her playing days the numbers were handed out alphabetically, with Apiata at the top of the list.

"It was fantastic, we all had a ball... everyone's just really grateful.

"Because it's alphabetical order I was number one way back then, I've still got the sports bag I was given with number one on it — I just expected my number 10."

Mrs Stewart is passionate about children having the opportunity to play sports due to the social skills they can develop from their time in a team environment.

"If there's the possibility that you could join the team, you should take the opportunity... whichever sport that you play, just enjoy."

In the next three years 161 women who took to the field in a sanctioned international Test match will be capped in ceremonies around New Zealand.

The caps are based on traditional rugby caps and feature the Black Ferns number, the silver fern and details of their test debut.

Source: Advocate South 

Article added: Thursday 14 June 2018