| Date of birth | 22 October 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Layla Sae (born 22 October 2000) is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays for Hurricanes Poua in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition and for Manawatu in the Farah Palmer Cup.
Sae was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was four. [1] She attended St Peter's College, Palmerston North. [2] In 2018, she travelled to the Philippines to compete in the Rebisco volleyball competition with the U19 Z-Air Māori Volleyball team. [2]
Sae was selected in Hurricanes Poua's inaugural squad for the Super Rugby Aupiki competition. [3] [4] After the Hurricanes missed the opening round due to COVID cases and isolation requirements, Sae made her Super Rugby debut on 15 March 2022 against Chiefs Manawa. [5]
In June 2022, she was part of the Black Ferns Pango sevens team that competed at the 2022 Oceania Women's Sevens Championship. [6]
Sae returned for Hurricanes Poua's second season of Super Rugby Aupiki in 2023. [7] She started in the Number 8 position in the opening game of the season. [8] She then moved to the blindside in round two of the competition, they beat Matatū 25–24. [9] [10] In the semifinal match against Chiefs Manawa, Sae crossed the try line in the 55th minute for her first Super Rugby try, however, her side lost 21–43. [11] [12]
On 17 April 2023, Sae was named as one of 34 players who were handed Black Ferns contracts in their build up ahead of the 2025 Rugby World Cup. [13] [14] She made her international debut on 30 September against the Wallaroos at Hamilton. [15] [16]