Crystal Kaua

Last updated

Crystal Kaua
Date of birth1984/1985(age 37–38)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward, lock
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2012–2013 Waikato 12 (0)
2009 Auckland 7 (0)
National sevens team(s)
YearsTeamComps
Aotearoa Māori Sevens
Teams coached
YearsTeam
2013–2015 Hamilton Girls' High School 7s
2018–2022 Mie Pearls 7s
Mie Pearls XVs
2022 Chiefs Manawa (assistant coach)
2023– Chiefs Manawa (head coach)

Crystal Kaua (born 1984/1985) [1] is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player.

Contents

Playing career

Kaua made the Black Ferns sevens and fifteens trial squads, [2] [3] and also played for the Aotearoa Sevens Māori side. [4] [5] She represented Auckland and Waikato in the Farah Palmer Cup. [5] [6]

Coaching career

In 2011, Kaua and two of her New Zealand Māori Sevens teammates and Black Ferns, Victoria Grant and Teresa Te Tamaki, helped the University of Waikato Rugby Club make a comeback. [7]

Kaua and her husband, Brent, led Hamilton Girls' High School to three consecutive Condor Sevens national titles, and also world youth titles in Hawaii and Japan up to the end of 2015. They then moved to Japan in 2018 and coached there for about four years. [1] [8] They coached the Mie Pearls sevens and fifteens teams in Yokkaichi. [1]

2022

Kaua was an assistant coach to Allan Bunting in Chiefs Manawa during their inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki season when they won their maiden title. [4] [9] She was also the Black Ferns Sevens performance analyst and skills coach in 2022. [8] [10] She was the technical advisor for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the 2022 Farah Palmer Cup. [11]

Kaua headed the Rawata team during the Black Ferns trial in July ahead of the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. [12] In September, she was appointed as the new head coach of Chiefs Manawa for the 2023 season. [4] [9] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theresa Fitzpatrick</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Theresa Matauaina Fitzpatrick is a New Zealand rugby union player.

Chelsea Semple is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for the Black Ferns against England in July 2013.

Krystal Murray is a dual code international rugby player for New Zealand.

Kelsie Wills is a New Zealand rugby union player. She previously represented New Zealand in Beach volleyball before switching to rugby.

Super Rugby Aupiki is a professional women's rugby union club competition in New Zealand. Its inaugural season was held in March 2022. It is a steppingstone between the Farah Palmer Cup and the Black Ferns. Aupiki translates as ‘the ascent to the upper most realm’.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matatū (rugby union)</span> Rugby team

Matatū is a New Zealand women's professional rugby union team that competes in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. Matatū represents the South Island, specifically the regions covered by the Crusaders and the Highlanders. They are governed by the Crusaders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruahei Demant</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Ruahei Demant is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for the New Zealand national women's team, the Black Ferns, against Australia in 2018. A utility back, Demant plays as a first five-eighth, second five-eighth or centre. She was named 2022 World Rugby player of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luka Connor</span> Rugby player

Luka Connor is a New Zealand rugby union player. In 2019, she made her debut for the Black Ferns off the bench against Canada in San Diego on 28 June. She plays for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the Farah Palmer Cup and club rugby for Rangataua.

Pia Tapsell is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for New Zealand against Canada at the 2019 Women's Rugby Super Series on 28 June at San Diego.

Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her international debut for New Zealand on 28 June 2019; against Canada at San Diego.

Liana Mikaele-Tu'u is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her Black Ferns debut against England in Exeter in 2021.

Patricia Maliepo is a New Zealand rugby union player. She is a first five-eighth for Auckland and New Zealand.

Natahlia Moors is a New Zealand rugby union player.

Karli Faneva is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her debut for New Zealand against Canada in the 2019 Women's Rugby Super Series in San Diego. She then earned her second cap in the match against France in round three of the Super Series.

Angel Mulu is a New Zealand rugby union player.

Tafito Lafaele is a New Zealand rugby union player.

The Chiefs Manawa are a New Zealand women's professional rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand that competes in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

Chryss Viliko is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

Hurricanes Poua are a New Zealand women's professional rugby union team based in Wellington, New Zealand that competes in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

Olivia Ward-Duin is a New Zealand rugby union player.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McFadden, Suzanne (14 February 2022). "Kaua's goal to become both epic coach and epic mum". Newsroom. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Black Ferns get down to business". Scrum Queens. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Black Ferns begin World Cup preparations". www.world.rugby. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Crystal Kaua named Head Coach of Waitomo Chiefs Manawa". Chiefs. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  5. 1 2 Kirkness, Luke (26 October 2022). "'It's a starting point': First female Super Rugby coaches have big dreams". NZ Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "Women's Sevens cast net far and wide for squad". www.aucklandrugby.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Varsity team help bring Waikato women's rugby back to the NPC". www.waikato.ac.nz. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Kaua, Grant to become first female Super Rugby head coaches". 1 News. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Super Rugby Aupiki returns for 2023 with two new coaches". NZ Sports Wire. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Kaua and Grant to become first female Super Rugby head coaches". RNZ. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ↑ "Bay of Plenty Volcanix 2022 Farah Palmer Cup Squad announced". www.boprugby.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Black Ferns triallists named". Rugby Heartland. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ↑ Powell, Alex (28 September 2022). "Super Rugby Aupiki: First female coaches appointed for expanded 2023 competition". Newshub. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.