Kayak Saves Teen’s 7’s Rugby Bid

from Women’s Rugby NZ:

There’s a message for any Manawatu rugby player who goes up to play in Bay of Plenty – take your kayak.

On Monday, Manawatu sevens player Puhiaurangi Black, 17, had to paddle her lungs out through flooded waters so she could take her place in the team at the Mt Maunganui sevens tournament.

Luckily for her, the Palmerston North teen had done plenty of waka ama paddling at Marton’s Turakina Maori Girls’ College where she was the head girl in her fifth and last year.

Therefore, her father, Tai Black, a professor at Massey University’s School of Maori Studies, wasn’t in the least surprised when he drove up from the Whakatane end of the state highway, couldn’t go any further in his vehicle, and then spotted his daughter paddling towards him.

“Is that commitment to play for Manawatu or what?” he asked.

“She said, `I’ve done all the training and I’m not going to miss playing for Manawatu’.”

Her grandparents in Whakatane were startled when they rolled up with a kayak on the back of the vehicle.

Puhiaurangi had been holidaying with her uncle’s family between Whakatane and Taneatua when the constant rain saw the Whakatane River burst its banks and flood the valley. Luckily for her they had a kayak.

“The funniest part was seeing her kayaking down the road,” her father said.

It was far from easy, despite being only 300 metres. The water was as deep as five metres and Puhiaurangi had to pump her paddles and fight the current which was coming from the hills across paddocks, trying to push her out into the main river.

Fortunately, the eastern Bay of Plenty wasn’t flooded and Tai was able to drive his daughter to Mt Maunganui where she scored in all of Manawatu’s games.

She comes from a talented family, all four children having attended Maori immersion boarding schools.

Father Tai is Tuhoe and originates from Ruatoki 20km south of Whakatane.

This year Puhiaurangi will be joining the teachers’ training immersion programme at Massey University. A Manawatu schoolgirls’ representative as a centre, she plans to play club rugby.

Her three brothers are Whitiaua, 24, Hona, 21, and Otere, 16, and all attended Hato Paora College.

Whitiaua and Otere have been New Zealand touch rugby players. Whitiaua plays first five-eighth for Kia Toa and last year was taken to join the Sumner club in Christchurch, but returned home after the earthquakes devastated the coastal suburb.

Otere is in his second year in the New Zealand under-17 rugby squad and this year will attend Palmerston North’s Tu Toa School. Hona is leaning towards academics and is studying for his doctorate in Maori studies at Massey.

 

This article was written by Peter Lampp a reporter for the Manawatu Standard. Thank you Peter for making it available to our site.