Olive Watherston

Olive Watherston

Born	(2004-05-17) 17 May 2004 (age 21)
School	Arrowtown School Wakatipu High School
Rugby union career
Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2021- Otago Spirit Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2024- Chiefs Manawa National sevens team Years Team Comps 2024-   New Zealand

Olive Watherston (born 17 May 2004) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team. ^[1]

Career

Watherston was born to Spik and Fiona, and is the youngest of four daughters. She grew up on a farm Arrowtown in the Otago region of New Zealand and won the Otago title in 2014 with Arrowtown School in touch rugby. Later, she attended Wakatipu High School and took up playing tackle rugby union in 2019 as a teenager and was called-up to represent Otago at under-18 level. ^[2]

In 2021, Watherston was named in the Otago Spirit team for her debut against Bay of Plenty Volcanix in Mount Maunganui as a 17-year-old. ^[3]

Watherston was first named for the Black Ferns Sevens development side in December 2023. She was contracted to the Chiefs Manawa 15s squad, but didn’t play in the Super Rugby Aupiki competition due to injury but did play for an invitational team in the Hong Kong 10s, in April 2024, and given a Black Ferns development contract, played in two international tournaments in France in June of that year. ^[4]

Watherston was called up to the senior New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team in November 2024. ^[5] She made her debut during the 2024-25 SVNS. ^{[6] [7]}

She was named in the New Zealand squad for the 2025-26 SVNS series in November 2025. ^[8]

References

1. "Olive Watherston". Rugby Data ase. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
2. George, Zoe (4 December 2020). "How tackling sheep helped aspiring Black Fern Olive Watherston take on the best". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
3. Seconi, Adrian (17 September 2021). "Watherston to make first-class debut". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
4. Chandler, Philip (23 November 2024). "Our Olive's dream selection". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
5. "THREE DEBUTANTS FEATURE IN FIRST BLACK FERNS SEVENS SQUAD OF THE SEASON". Allblacks.com. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
6. Goile, Aaron (4 May 2024). "Youngsters thrown into the fray as Black Ferns Sevens aim for perfect finish at world champs". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
7. "NZ rugby sevens unknowns ready for world stage in Dubai". rnz.co.nz. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
8. Morton, Finn (24 November 2025). "Injury forces change to Black Ferns Sevens squad for SVNS opener". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 24 November 2025.