Grace Gago

Last updated

Grace Gago
Date of birth (1998-05-05) 5 May 1998 (age 25)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2017–Present Counties Manukau 26 (35)
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2023– Blues 11 (20)
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2023Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 1 (0)

Grace Gago (born 5 May 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Blues in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Counties Manukau in the Farah Palmer Cup.

Contents

Early career

Gago was attending Manurewa High School when she was named Counties Manukau Rugby's under-18 girls' Player of the Year at the Junior Rugby Awards that was held in Pukekohe in 2016. [1] Besides playing for the Counties Manukau under-18s team, she also played for the Manurewa Wahine rugby league team and the Samoan under-18 tag team. [1] She also represented her school in touch and was also part of their football and first XVs team. [1]

Rugby career

In 2022, At the Counties Manukau Rugby awards Gago won the Players’ Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, and MVP of the Year awards. [2] She made her Super Rugby Aupiki debut for the Blues in 2023 in their first round loss to Matatū, despite scoring her sides first try, they narrowly lost 31–33. [3] [4]

Gago was named among 34 contracted players for the Black Ferns in 2023 as they build toward the 2025 Rugby World Cup, it is her first fulltime contract. [5] [6] She was named in the Black Ferns 30-player squad in June to compete in the Pacific Four Series and O’Reilly Cup. [7] [8] She started in her international debut against the United States on 14 July 2023, at Ottawa. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

Krystal Murray is a dual code international rugby player for New Zealand. She competed for the Kiwi Ferns at the 2017 Women's Rugby League World Cup in Australia. She then made her test debut for the Black Ferns in 2021, she was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Northland provincially.

Kendra Reynolds is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays Flanker for New Zealand and was a member of their champion 2021 Rugby World Cup squad. She also plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

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

Maiakawanakaulani Roos is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays as a Lock for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for the Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Auckland provincially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Rule</span> Rugby player

Amy Rule is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Canterbury provincially.

Phillipa Love is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Canterbury provincially.

Renee Holmes is a New Zealand rugby union player. She played for Matatū in the 2022 and 2023 seasons of the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and in 2024 for Chiefs Manawa. She plays provincial rugby for Waikato. She plays International rugby for the Black Ferns and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alana Bremner</span> Rugby player

Alana Bremner is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Canterbury provincially. She also represents New Zealand internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Bremner</span> Rugby player

Chelsea Bremner is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She previously played for Matatū in 2022, but now plays for the Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. She represents Canterbury at a provincial level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy du Plessis</span> Rugby player

Amy du Plessis is a South African born, New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Canterbury provincially. She also plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Kalounivale</span> Rugby player

Tanya Kalounivale is a Fijian-born New Zealand rugby union player. She plays at tighthead prop for Waikato and Manurewa Women’s Rugby Club. She was part of the Black Ferns champion 2021 Rugby World Cup squad. She plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

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

Luka Connor is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was part of the Black Ferns 2021 Rugby World Cup squad that won their sixth title. She plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition; she also plays for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the Farah Palmer Cup and club rugby for Rangataua.

Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was part of the Black Ferns team that won the 2021 Rugby World Cup. She also plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.

Liana Mikaele-Tu'u is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. She played for Hawke's Bay previously before moving to Auckland.

Mele Hufanga is a New Zealand rugby player. She has competed for Tonga internationally in rugby union, and for Tonga and New Zealand in rugby league. She played for the Blues Women in the inaugural season of Super Rugby Aupiki in 2022. She also made her test debut for the Tonga women's national rugby union team. She competed for the Kiwi Ferns at the delayed 2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup.

Leilani Perese is a New Zealand rugby union player. She debuted for the Black Ferns in 2018. She also plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Counties Manukau provincially.

Tafito Lafaele is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her Black Ferns test debut in 2022. She plays for the Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Auckland provincially.

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

Mererangi Paul is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Counties Manukau in the Farah Palmer Cup.

Rosie Kelly is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup.

Lucy Jenkins is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Matatū in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Canterbury in the Farah Palmer Cup.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Apted, Alan (19 October 2016). "Sport: Grace Gago named best female rugby prospect in Counties Manukau". Stuff. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  2. "Gago shines bright on red carpet at season awards". Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  3. "New players get Black Ferns contracts with 2025 the target". NZ Sports Wire. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  4. Wall, Jamie (25 February 2023). "Matatū pip Blues Women in outstanding performance". superrugby.co.nz. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  5. "Black Ferns contracts revealed". RNZ. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  6. "Black Ferns contracts announced for 2023". allblacks.com. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  7. "First Black Ferns squad of 2023 named". allblacks.com. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  8. "Nine rookies named in first Black Ferns squad of 2023". NZ Herald. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  9. "PREVIEW: Black Ferns v USA (Ottawa)". allblacks.com. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  10. "Live updates: Pacific Four - Black Ferns v USA at Ottawa's TD Place Stadium". Newshub. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.