| Date of birth | 8 January 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 81 kg (179 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Kelsie Thwaites (née Wills; born 8 January 1993) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She previously represented New Zealand in Beach volleyball before switching to rugby. [1]
Thwaites completed an indoor volleyball scholarship in the United States, and played professionally in Paris. [1]
Thwaites and playing partner Shaunna Polley represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. [2] [3] They were the nation's first women's beach volleyball team to compete at the Games. [2] [3] The pair won a bronze medal at the Ulsan Open in South Korea on the 2017 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. [3]
Thwaites made a switch to rugby union in 2019. [1] She made the Bay of Plenty Volcanix squad in her debut year for the Farah Palmer Cup. [4] [5] She wore the black jersey for the first time in two non-test matches against the NZ Barbarians in 2020. [2] She made her international debut for the Black Ferns against England on 31 October 2021 at Exeter. [6] [2]
Thwaites was named in the Chiefs Manawa squad for the 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki season. [7]
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.
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.
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’.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grace Steinmetz is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her test debut for the Black Ferns in 2022. She plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition, she previously played for Matatū. She also represents Canterbury provincially.
Dhys Faleafaga is a New Zealand rugby union and sevens player. She plays for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Wellington provincially. She has played for the Black Ferns and the Black Ferns Sevens internationally.
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.
Grace Houpapa-Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for the Black Ferns internationally and for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. She also represents Waikato provincially in the Farah Palmer Cup.
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.
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.
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.
Patricia Maliepo is a New Zealand rugby union player. She is a first five-eighth for Auckland and New Zealand.
Cristo Tofa is a New Zealand rugby union player. She has played two tests for the Black Ferns; she currently plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition, having previously played for the Blues Women.
Krysten Cottrell is a New Zealand rugby union player. She made her international debut for New Zealand in 2018. She also plays for the Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and represents Hawke's Bay provincially.
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.
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