 Hireme in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 3 May 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (12 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arneta Honey Hireme-Smiler MNZM (born 3 May 1981) is a former New Zealand rugby football player who has represented her country in rugby league, rugby sevens and rugby union. Due to her multi-sport career, Hireme-Smiler has been referred to as Honey Bill Williams, in reference to her New Zealand male counterpart Sonny Bill Williams. [1] [2]
From Putāruru, South Waikato, Hireme-Smiler played rugby league for Putaruru Dragons from 5 years old and then onto the senior women's grades playing for the Papakura Sea Eagles club in the Auckland Rugby League women's competition. She has represented Counties Manukau, Bay of plenty, Waikato and Waicoa Bay in the New Zealand Rugby League's women's competition over her 20-year career at representative level. [3]
Hireme-Smiler has played in four Rugby League World Cups, she played for the Kiwiferns in the 2003 Women's world cup 2008 and 2013 World Cups. [3] She captained the team in 2013. [4] She was named in the world women's rugby league in all 4 world cup tournaments, and also awarded player of the Tournament in 2013.
She played in the 2017 Rugby League world cup representing the kiwiferns finishing the tournament as the highest try scorer and finalist for player of the tournament.
In June 2018, Hireme-Smiler joined the St. George Illawarra Dragons ahead of the inaugural NRL Women's Premiership commencing in September 2018. [5] She co-captained the New Zealand women's rugby league team, with Laura Mariu, between the pair they had over 36 years of experience at international level. She was awarded NZ women's rugby league player of the year in 2018 her third time winning top honours. She was also a finalist in 2018 for the International Women's Golden boot award.
In rugby union, she plays and coaches Melville women's Premier rugby team and represents Waikato in the women's provincial championship. [3] [6]
She made her New Zealand rugby union debut at the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup, where she was named to the World Cup Dream Team and the World XV team. [4] [7]
She competed in the Women's Rugby Super Series in 2015 and 2019.
Hireme-Smiler appeared for the Black Ferns in the 2016 Laurie O'Reilly Cup against the Wallaroos, scoring tries in both test matches. [8] [9] [10]
Hireme-Smiler has played for the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team in the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup in Moscow. [4] She has also played for New Zealand on the IRB Women's Sevens World Series and represented New Zealand Maori in sevens. [11] [12]
In 2014, she also became one of New Zealand's first contracted sevens players. [4]
She was:
The New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team represents New Zealand in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, Summer Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Melodie Bosman is a former New Zealand female rugby union player. She played internationally for New Zealand and provincially for Canterbury.
Linda Itunu is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns, New Zealand women's sevens and Auckland.
Kendra Margaret Cocksedge is a retired New Zealand Rugby Union player and Cricketer. She played for the New Zealand Women's national rugby union side, the Black Ferns and for the Canterbury provincial side. She was a member of the 2010, 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup winning squads. In 2018 she won the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year Award at the annual New Zealand Rugby awards.
Anna Mary Richards is a former New Zealand rugby union player. She represented New Zealand and won four Rugby World Cups — 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and was a member of the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team and New Zealand women's national rugby union team. Woodman was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team that won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She retired from international sevens rugby after the Paris Olympics.
Selica Winiata is a New Zealand Rugby union player and referee. She plays for the Black Ferns, the Black Ferns Sevens and provincially for the Manawatu Cyclones. She was part of the Black Ferns 2014 and Champion 2017 Rugby World Cup squads. She won a silver medal with the Black Ferns Sevens team at the inaugural women's 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament and a gold medal at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Theresa Matauaina Setefano is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was a member of the Black Ferns champion 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup squads. She has also represented New Zealand in rugby sevens; she won gold medals at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She played for the Blues Women in the 2022 Super Rugby Aupiki season.
Tyla King is a New Zealand international rugby union player, professional rugby league player and Olympian.
Niall Williams-Guthrie is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level. She has won silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Stacey Jamie Aroha Kirsten Waaka is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team and New Zealand Women's National Rugby Union team. Waaka was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team which won gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She was also a member of the New Zealand fifteen-a-side team which won the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Chelsea Semple is a New Zealand rugby union player. She was part of the Black Ferns side that won their fifth Rugby World Cup title in 2017. She plays for the Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition.
Amber-Paris Hall is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays for the Sydney Roosters Women in the NRL Women's Premiership.
Kanyon Paul is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays for the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL Women's Premiership. Primarily a hooker, she is a New Zealand 9s representative.
Tenika Willison is a New Zealand rugby sevens and rugby league player. She is currently contracted to the Newcastle Knights in the NRL Women's Premiership. She previously played for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. She also plays for the Black Ferns sevens internationally and won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Kennedy Wailer Tukuafu is a New Zealand rugby union player. She is a loose forward and plays for the Black Ferns internationally and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Waikato provincially.
Ariana Bayler 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 Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Waikato provincially.
Jazmin Felix-Hotham is a New Zealand rugby sevens player. She plays for the Black Ferns Sevens and represents Waikato provincially. Hotham was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Montessa Tairakena is a New Zealand rugby sevens player.
Awhina Tangen-Wainohu is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for New Zealand at international level and was a member of their 2021 Rugby World Cup champion squad. She also plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Waikato provincially.